Education Secretary Gillian Keegan Asserts Parents' Right to Access Sex Education Materials in Schools

Keegan dismisses copyright concerns, writing to schools and parents to assure that companies providing teaching resources cannot ban materials from being shared, amidst ongoing government review into RSHE curriculum.

• Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has emphasised that parents have the right to access sex education materials taught to their children in school, disregarding copyright concerns. The Education Secretary has sent out letters to both parents and schools to assert this right.
• This initiative by Ms. Keegan is a response to parental concerns that they were being blocked from viewing lesson materials due to copyright claims by companies providing teaching resources. She has clarified that any attempt to use copyright law to ban schools from sharing materials would be unenforceable and void.
• Keegan has also stated that no new legislation is required for schools to share materials with parents, going against the call by nearly 70 Conservative MPs for a legal duty for schools to publish sex education content.
• This decision is concurrent with an ongoing government review into the Relationship, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) curriculum that was announced in March, following concerns about children being exposed to inappropriate content. The updated guidance is yet to be published.
• There have been mixed reactions to Keegan's initiative, with chief executive of the Sex Education forum, Lucy Emmerson advocating for 'meaningful engagement between schools and parents', while Geoff Barton, of the Association of School and College Leaders, warns that the expectation for schools to publish all resources could increase workload for teachers.

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