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Cllr Izzi Seccombe, Chairman of the LGA's Community Wellbeing Board, responds to an announcement by the Government that sex and relationship education is to be made compulsory in all secondary schools.

"We are pleased that the Government has listened to our call for sex and relationship education (SRE) to be made compulsory in all secondary schools, which can help to reduce the high number of STI diagnoses in young people.

"As we have previously warned, the lack of compulsory SRE in secondary academies and free schools is storing up problems for later on in life, creating a ticking sexual health time bomb, as we are seeing in those who have recently left school.

"We believe that making SRE compulsory in all secondary schools, not just council-maintained ones, could make a real difference in reversing this trend, by preparing pupils for adulthood and enabling them to better take care of themselves and future partners.

"The focus needs to be on arming them with the knowledge they need to tackle what lies ahead. Life as a teenager is complicated enough.

"While parents should have the right to remove their children from SRE, the evidence suggests that when designed and delivered in the right way, SRE can have a really positive impact on a pupil's development."

Related information:  Schools to teach 21st century relationships and sex education