NCB calls for statutory PSHE education

NCB ( National Children's Bureau)  will be using the Education and Skills Bill as an opportunity to renew the call for statutory personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education in secondary schools. Statutory PSHE education would support schools in fulfilling their duty to promote the wellbeing of pupils in terms of the five Every Child Matters outcomes. The PSHE Association fully support this move.

Personal, social, health and economic education gives schools the potential to contribute to all five outcomes. The subject provides young people with the information they need to make healthy decisions about diet and exercise, sex and relationships and drugs and alcohol. It gives them the financial capability to move into independence with confidence, and the knowledge, skills and self-esteem to make safe choices and manage their lives.

NCB is calling for

• PSHE education as a subject in the statutory secondary curriculum
• The development of teacher training courses to help build up a workforce of PSHE education specialists
• A PSHE education GCSE with focused learning across health, education and social care

A statutory curriculum would also ensure consistency in the quality and quantity of PSHE education provided across the country. The subject’s status would be strengthened, improving the training available and the appeal of the subject to teachers. And finally, there is evidence that a focus on the wellbeing of pupils is likely to help to raise educational standards.

For more information, contact Sally Cole, parliamentary officer, on 020 7843 1903, scole@ncb.org.uk

More information on NCB visit http://www.ncb.org.uk/