New sex ed guidance ‘muddying the waters’

The latest guidance on Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) for schools in England, published by the Department in Education in July, is receiving mixed reactions from the Christian community.

The big win from the guidance for Christian parents is that all teaching materials for lessons on sex education should be made available to parents from September 2026, when the new rules come into play.

“The one bit of good news is that the guidance is clear about the need for transparency and making resources available to parents,” said Dr Julie Maxwell, a community paediatrician as well as deputy director of Lovewise, a charity that supports parents and schools by providing resources on marriage, sex and relationships from a Christian perspective.