Schools
in the UK will be obliged to publish details of their sex education
syllabi online amid concern among parents
and
the general public about the the increased sexualisation of children,
the impact of internet porn, and the content
of some sex education programmes.

Colin Hart, a director
of the Christian Institute, said: “I strongly welcome the
requirement for schools to set out their approach on their website in
this sensitive area. It would be ideal if parents could actually see
online a copy of the materials themselves. The potential threat of a
parental backlash would help block the use of inappropriate
materials.”

According
to the Daily Telegraph, the Department for Education has
issued new guidelines requiring primary and secondary schools to make
the details of Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) syllabi
publicly available. PSHE, which is not a compulsory subject, covers
everything from sex education to advice on alcohol, drugs, bullying
and finances. Parents will now be able to see for themselves what
their children are being taught.

Lord
Nash, a junior education minister, said the change would come
alongside new “supplementary guidance” which will “address
changes in technology and legislation since 2000, in particular
equipping teachers to help protect children and young children from
inappropriate online content and from online bullying, harassment and
exploitation”.

The
move comes after a Telegraph petition calling for sex
education to include the dangers of the internet was signed by over
50,000 people.

The PSHE
association, a government-funded charity that advises schools about
sex education, and Mumsnet, an online community and support group for
parents, have also welcomed the directive.

The government’s
move comes as a Labour motion to make comprehensive sex education
compulsory failed in parliament.