The ‘it’ is Mandatory Sex and Relationships Education [SRE]with inclusive guidance on LGBT matters.
This week the highly regarded LGBT Rights organisation THe Terence Higgins Trust published a report on SRE in Britains’ schools—revealing an horrendous situation.
Among its findings were the following—-results even worse than those found in the Offsted Report of 2014 which found that SRE teaching was inadequate in the minority of schools that have to provide it.[It does not have to be taught in Academies,primary schools free schools or private schools]
*More than half of respondents reported provision to be poor or terrible
*Only 5% were taught about were taught about LGBT sex and relationships—-despite 97.5% expressing a desire to know .
*97% received no information on gender identity
* 32% received no information on H.I.V. {This at a time when infection rates are increasing and the NHS has refused to fund preventative drugs!]
* 99% of young people thought SRE should be mandatory in ALL schools whatever their status or whoever they are funded by.
The dismal effects of this perpetuation of ignorance among our young people is well documented and getting worse

Ian Green ,Chief Executive of The TH Trust said this:” In this report ,we’ve seen the stark reality of SRE in this country and heard saddening stories of how one generation of young people have been exposed to low self-esteem,homophobia,bullying, unhealthy relationships and poor sexual health—–another generation of young people to leave school armed with little or no information on issues like LGBT relationships .gender identity and consent.Without trusted information from schools on anything other than the biological basics of the biological basics of heterosexual sex they will turn to less reliable sources such as the internet.”
Way back at the 2013 Pride we launched a petition for compulsory modern provision. Last year the Education Select Committee of Parliament conducted an inquiry into mandatory provision with evidence submitted in favour by just about every organisation in the field—-including our Forum and Network, To its great credit the committee comprised of all political parties reported in favour. Government response was delayed and when it came from Education and Women and Equalites Minister Nikki Morgan it was killed off by kind words and sabotage. Given her poor record on Equalities—especially LGBT equalitie as Equal Marriage this scarcely came as a surprise.There was outrage from just about every organisation in the field. Even this week the Commons Women and Equalities Committee again called for it when inquiring into sexual harassment in schools
Today Theresa May sacked Nikki Morgan [teachers cannot contain their grief!]and replaced her with Justine Greening. She was not only educated at a state comprehensive [not very common in the Tory hierarchy] but came out as being in a relationship with another woman during the recent London Pride. It has taken her until the age of 47 to do so—-so she must be well aware of the problems that LGBt youngsters in schools are continuing to face and so may be more receptive to a renewed campaign to secure mandatory LGBT inclusive SRE
Labour in its 2015 LGBT Manifesto committed itself to this—-but those young people continuing to suffer cannot afford to wait that long

As the report quotes from 18 year old Lauren Young who took part in the survey “Many young people struggle with their feelings of sexuality and if no one is talking to them about it,allowing them to discuss it openly,they will internalise their worry and it will grow into something ugly and harmful for the individual.

Or worse! The time for action is NOW1