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Navigating Relationship Sex Education (RSE)

Updated Tuesday, 21 May 2024

Sarah Adams and Kat Vallely led the discussion recorded as part of The Open University Education Conference.

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The session started with participants sharing words they associated with Relationship Sex Education (RSE). These included inclusive, health, resistance, and contentious. The group agreed with Pilcher’s (2005, p.169) description of RSE as having a ‘contentious character’.

Image of the mentimeter question participants answered at the start of the session. When asked ’What words come to your mind when you hear the term Relationship Sex Education? Responses o the screen included: ’inclusive ‘, ’health ‘, ’resistance’ and ’contentious ‘.

Fig. 1: Image of the mentimeter question participants answered at the start of the session. When asked ’What words come to your mind when you hear the term Relationship Sex Education? Responses on the screen included: ’inclusive ‘, ’health ‘, ’resistance’ and ’contentious ‘.

The session used the GROW model (Goal, Reality, Opportunities, and Will) as a framework for participants to explore RSE within their own contexts. Contexts included HE educators and research students.

When exploring participants' goals related to RSE, these were linked to considering their own understanding of this area of learning, recent changes in law and policy, as well as keeping updated on issues which continue to be debated in parliament; particularly relationships education.

The discussion of goals naturally led to considering the reality of navigating RSE in each context. This included consideration of practitioner confidence, parents’ and carers’ expectations, finding time and space in an already crowded curriculum and the view that RSE should be woven throughout a school’s curriculum rather than viewed as a discrete area of learning. The discussion highlighted the challenges of navigating what is in a child's best interest, the rights of parents and carers, and practitioners' confidence and skill in delivering this area within their contexts and legal frameworks.

Whilst RSE is contentious in nature, the group identified a range of opportunities this area of learning brings. These included:

  • placing children at the centre of decisions and understanding their needs
  • using role play and scenarios to discuss ‘sensitive’ issues
  • taking a cross-curriculum approach to deliver key teaching points
  • equipping children with language to describe their thoughts and feelings and be able to ask questions
  • providing time and space for children to be heard.

The session ended with participants reflecting on what they will do next. Wills included exploring:

  • further research opportunities with children and parents
  • further opportunities and ways of ensuring RSE input at The Open University is relevant and up to date for future educators.

Word 2007 document Download video transcript 57.4 KB

References

Pilcher, J. (2005) ‘School sex education: policy and practice in England 1870 to 2000‘, Sex Education, 5(2), pp. 153–170.


🎓 This piece is part of The OU Education Conference collection. 🎓


 

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