Source · Select Committees · Women and Equalities Committee
Recommendation 2
2
Deferred
Paragraph: 33
Inadequate and late delivery of mandatory menstrual cycle education impacts girls' PE participation.
Conclusion
Key anxieties for girls include concerns around periods, yet education on the menstrual cycle, despite being mandatory, is only being delivered in half of schools. It is shocking that around 50% of schools are disregarding a vital, and mandatory, element of the curriculum. Where it is being delivered, in most cases, it is part of a biology lesson and years after most girls will have started their period. As we have found in our other work, this is typical of current teaching on reproductive health, which is inadequate, irrelevant to girls’ needs, and delivered too late in girls’ development. These failings are having obvious consequences for girls’ confidence and, in terms of participation in and enjoyment of PE and sport, leading to withdrawal from necessary, healthy activity.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government accepted the recommendation but deflected by responding solely on the importance of offering a wide choice of PE kit and sports bras for girls, including elite athletes, without addressing the core issue of inadequate menstrual cycle education.
Paragraph Reference:
33
Government Response
The government responded to this report on 17 May 2024. No passage in that response could be matched to this conclusion. Read the response document ↗