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A History of Gender and Sexual Diversity in Sex Education

Queer kids in sex education. The past, the present, the… future? A look at the history of sex education, & what it means for LGBT+ kids now
Sex and relationships education (SRE) has long been a contentious subject in schools. Beginning in the early part of the 20th century, ‘hygiene’ lessons started to become part of formal education, with the topic making its way in to policy in the 1950s. This policy expanded until the 1980s, when things began to change for pupils, with the advent of section 28, stating that ‘pretend family relationships’ and sexual orientation should not be promoted. This policy was in place until 2003 in English schools, and current government SRE policy was written in 2000. There is little mention of LGBTQ identities in the policy and with schools not having a formal SRE curriculum to follow, those that are required to teach it (maintained schools) are free to teach the aspects that they feel most appropriate.
This in-depth case study focuses on one school in the West Midlands and studies several policies from schools across the West Midlands. It examines the intersections between policy and practice. It takes a deeper look at how political history informs current policies, and how policy informs practice and the challenges involved in doing so. It seeks to answer the questions of whether LGBTQ pupils’ identities are provided for within sex education, and to explore the alignment of teaching and learning within SRE: are pupils learning what teachers feel they are teaching. Both historical and current restrictions are considered in this look backwards at the history of SRE and forwards to the future of SRE.
images.duckduckgo.comFestival Hub: OUTing the Past Coventry – Saturday 4th February 2017
Venue: Coventry Central Library, in the City Centre, The Central Library is situated on Smithford Way
http://www.disabledgo.com/access-guide/city-of-coventry/central-library-2
Commencing promptly @ 12:10