Source · Select Committees · Women and Equalities Committee
Recommendation 2
2
Deferred
Paragraph: 24
Revise draft RSHE guidance on menstrual health due to insufficient and late teaching
Recommendation
However, we are concerned that the teaching of the menstrual health element of relationships, sex and health education is insufficient and inconsistent. It is often delivered too late in a child’s development to be of use and by teachers who lack the necessary training. The requirement in the draft guidance that schools need to cover reproductive health conditions only by the end of year 11 contrasts with Government advice that puberty and menstruation should be addressed before onset. It needs revising.
Government Response Summary
The government agrees on the importance of comprehensive menstrual health education, outlining existing RSHE coverage, and states that the Department for Education is currently reviewing the statutory guidance and will consider the recommendations as part of this process, with results published this year.
Paragraph Reference:
24
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
We agree that all students, including both girls and boys, should receive comprehensive education on menstrual health, and that all girls and women should be informed on what a ‘normal’ period is. Relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) became compulsory in schools in September 2020, and all pupils are taught the facts about areas of women’s health. The RSHE curriculum covers several areas of women’s health, including: • menstruation • contraception • fertility • pregnancy • menopause The 2019 Relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) statutory guidance states that primary and secondary school pupils, including boys and young men, should be taught important facts about the menstrual cycle and reproductive health, including: • what is an average period • the range of menstrual products in the market • the implications for emotional and physical health The Department for Education (DfE) is currently reviewing the statutory guidance and exploring whether any changes to existing content are required, including on menstrual, gynaecological and reproductive health. DfE is working with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the government’s Women’s Health Ambassador, Professor Dame Lesley Regan, and will consider the relevant recommendations from the Women and Equalities Committee in developing revised guidance. The results of the public consultation, and the government’s response to it, will be published this year.