Rishi Sunak plans to remove inappropriate material from Relationships and Sex Education lessons

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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak plans to do more to protect children from inappropriate material in Relationships and Sex Education classes, according to media reports.

The Daily Telegraph reports that the prime minister also wants to strengthen parental access to the material their children are being taught in lessons.

RSE became compulsory in English schools in 2020 but many parents and organisations, including Christians, have been concerned about parts of the curriculum and some of the resources and external organisations being used by schools.

The Department for Education's RSE guidelines require schools to consult with parents about the content of the lessons but concerns have been raised that some schools failed to do this properly.

Earlier this month, the Information Commissioner blocked parents of children at Haberdashers' Hatcham College from being able to access the resources used in sex education classes.

The ruling was made despite statutory guidance requiring that schools "ensure that parents know what will be taught and when, and clearly communicate the fact that parents have the right to request that their child be withdrawn from some or all of sex education delivered as part of statutory RSE".

It also states: "Parents should be given every opportunity to understand the purpose and content of Relationships Education and RSE.

"Good communication and opportunities for parents to understand and ask questions about the school's approach help increase confidence in the curriculum."

Mr Sunak is also reportedly planning to review the Equality Act 2010 to clarify that references to sex mean biological sex and not gender.

"This would clarify that single-sex spaces would be protected and that men cannot compete in women's sports," said The Christian Institute.