Latest news with #DepartmentForEducation
BBC News
12 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
Bridgnorth man credits grief education campaign to mum's death
At just 12 years old, John Adams lost his mum, his father openly talked about death and grieving afterwards, Mr Adams found that in school, communication around the subject was "non-existent".Becoming a funeral director at Perry & Phillips in his hometown of Bridgnorth, Shropshire, opened his eyes - he said adults appeared scared to get children involved in funerals, or to speak to them about death at was in 2022 that he started campaigning to get grieving education into the curriculum, and this week, he has achieved that goal. On Tuesday, the Department for Education published its statutory guidance on relationships education, relationships and sex education and health said by the end of primary school, pupils should be taught that change, loss and bereavement can provoke a range of feelings, that grief is a natural response to bereavement, and that everyone grieves the end of secondary school, they should be taught how families and relationships change over time, including through birth, death, separation and new relationships. "I received a phone call on Tuesday," Mr Adams said, "to say it's happened and it's now going into the guidance, and to congratulate me." "It's been relentless. I haven't stopped, it's become who I am. So it's a moment to pause and reflect on what's been achieved."I'm also aware there's more work to do now – it's about what it looks like in the curriculum." 'Death is the only guarantee in life' It was a long road to this point - Mr Adams became president of the National Association of Funeral Directors in 2022, and spoke then about his goal."The idea of it, is that we have more of an idea of the emotions that are affiliated with when someone dies," he said."It's the only guarantee in life, and therefore we should be more informed about what these emotions are and how we deal with them."In October 2022, he launched a parliamentary petition which amassed more than 11,000 signatures. It was debated in Parliament in December 2024."Having a base level within school, I recognise that's where it needs to start," he said."So, when these young people become adults, they have more awareness of knowing how to communicate about death dying and bereavement." Looking ahead, Mr Adams has been asked to help shape how the subject is told the BBC that the first steps would be to provide support and reassurance for teachers who would be delivering the education."The right sessions will come from that," he on the announcement, he said: "My mum, Maria, has been the fuel for the whole of this process and campaign – she's pushed me on. "I hope that she'd be pleased and proud that despite being such a sad time when I was 12, that something good has come of it to help other people." Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
CNA
4 days ago
- Politics
- CNA
UK schools to roll out lessons to counter misogyny, incel culture and online grooming
LONDON: English schools will begin teaching students how to recognise and resist misogynistic content online, the UK government said on Tuesday (Jul 15), in response to growing concerns over the influence of so-called manosphere figures like Andrew Tate. The new lessons, aimed at children aged 11 to 18, will cover topics such as 'incel' (involuntary celibate) culture, the link between pornography and misogyny, and the dangers posed by AI-generated deepfake content. COMBATING TOXIC ONLINE INFLUENCES The UK's Department for Education said misogynistic attitudes had reached 'epidemic scale' among young people, fuelled by internet influencers and harmful online communities. 'I want our children to be equipped to defy the malign forces that exist online,' said Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson. 'Schools and parents alike have a vital role to play, helping children identify positive role models and resist the manipulation too often used online to groom impressionable young minds.' The announcement follows the release of the Netflix drama Adolescence, which sparked national debate earlier this year for its depiction of toxic online influences on boys. The show centres on a radicalised 13-year-old boy who commits murder after being drawn into online incel culture. NEW CURRICULUM GUIDELINES Data published by the Department for Education showed that 54 per cent of students aged 11 to 19 had witnessed misogynistic comments in the past week. The new guidance encourages schools to challenge myths about relationships and help boys seek out healthier role models, without stigmatising boys 'for being boys.' Phillipson said the measures are designed to foster 'respectful and healthy attitudes' and protect students from harmful online narratives. Prime Minister Keir Starmer praised Adolescence and said the show would be screened in secondary schools. During last year's general election campaign, Starmer's Labour party pledged to halve the rate of violence against women and girls within a decade.
The Independent
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Children to be taught how to resist Andrew Tate ‘incel' culture at school
Children will be taught to combat misogyny and resist 'incel' culture under new school guidance published on Tuesday. The relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) framework specifically aims to help boys find positive role models, countering the increasing spread of sexist online content from 'manosphere' influencers like Andrew Tate. It also stresses the need to avoid 'stigmatising boys for being boys'. Beyond lessons on 'incel' (involuntary celibate) culture, secondary schools will be required to provide young people with greater awareness of AI, deepfakes, and the links between pornography and misogyny. The guidance comes as the Department for Education (DfE) warned that misogynistic attitudes had reached 'epidemic scale' among young people, with 54 per cent of those aged 11-19 saying they had witnessed misogynist comments. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: 'Before I was elected to Parliament, I managed a refuge for women and children fleeing domestic violence, so I have seen first-hand the devastating impact when we don't foster healthy attitudes from the youngest age. 'I want our children to be equipped to defy the malign forces that exist online. Schools and parents alike have a vital role to play, helping children identify positive role models and resist the manipulation too often used online to groom impressionable young minds.' In its manifesto last year, Labour pledged to halve the rate of violence against women and girls in 10 years. And earlier in 2025, Sir Keir Starmer praised the Netflix drama Adolescence for highlighting how misogyny had 'taken on a different form' and said he wanted a discussion on what could be done to stop young boys 'being dragged into this whirlpool of hatred and misogyny'. Margaret Mulholland, of the Association of School and College Leaders, welcomed the new guidance and its focus on finding positive male role models for boys, saying it was 'important that we don't simply tell boys what is wrong'. The previous Conservative government proposed changing the guidance on RSHE in May last year, with then-prime minister Rishi Sunak expressing concern children were being exposed to 'inappropriate' content. The draft guidance, which was open to a nine-week consultation, proposed clear age limits on the teaching of certain topics to ensure children were not 'exposed to too much too soon'. It said sex education should be taught no earlier than Year 5, when pupils are aged nine to 10, and that what is described as the 'contested topic of gender identity' should not be taught at all. The proposed guidance said schools should 'at minimum' show parents a representative sample of teaching resources they plan to use and that schools 'should respond positively to requests from parents to see material that has not already been shared'. While Tuesday's revised guidance includes the requirement to provide parents with teaching materials, the new Government has scrapped the proposal to prescribe specific ages at which individual topics are taught. The DfE said there would be a 'strong new emphasis on age-appropriate' teaching, and a 'clear dividing line' between primary and secondary school. But the guidance would allow teachers to 'sensitively respond to topics that children might have seen online or heard from their friends', with research suggesting 22% of primary school-aged girls had seen 'rude images online'. Tuesday's guidance also includes requirements on helping children with their mental health, including working with mental health professionals to discuss suicide prevention 'in an age-appropriate way'. Children will be taught the importance of 'grit and resilience' in order to help them 'feel able to take on challenges and risks'. Andy Airey, Mike Palmer and Tim Owen – who founded suicide prevention charity 3 Dads Walking in memory of their daughters – said: 'Giving schools permission to talk about suicide prevention means more young people can be supported to open up about difficult feelings and know where to find help. 'We know, from painful personal experience, how much this matters. This change will save lives.' Schools will be able to implement the guidance from September this year, and must follow it from September 2026.
The Independent
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Anti-misogyny lessons to be taught in school in a bid to tackle sexism ‘epidemic'
Children will be taught to combat misogyny and resist 'incel' culture under new school guidance published on Tuesday. The relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) framework specifically aims to help boys find positive role models, countering the increasing spread of sexist online content from 'manosphere' influencers like Andrew Tate. It also stresses the need to avoid 'stigmatising boys for being boys'. Beyond lessons on 'incel' (involuntary celibate) culture, secondary schools will be required to provide young people with greater awareness of AI, deepfakes, and the links between pornography and misogyny. The guidance comes as the Department for Education (DfE) warned that misogynistic attitudes had reached 'epidemic scale' among young people, with 54 per cent of those aged 11-19 saying they had witnessed misogynist comments. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: 'Before I was elected to Parliament, I managed a refuge for women and children fleeing domestic violence, so I have seen first-hand the devastating impact when we don't foster healthy attitudes from the youngest age. 'I want our children to be equipped to defy the malign forces that exist online. Schools and parents alike have a vital role to play, helping children identify positive role models and resist the manipulation too often used online to groom impressionable young minds.' In its manifesto last year, Labour pledged to halve the rate of violence against women and girls in 10 years. And earlier in 2025, Sir Keir Starmer praised the Netflix drama Adolescence for highlighting how misogyny had 'taken on a different form' and said he wanted a discussion on what could be done to stop young boys 'being dragged into this whirlpool of hatred and misogyny'. Margaret Mulholland, of the Association of School and College Leaders, welcomed the new guidance and its focus on finding positive male role models for boys, saying it was 'important that we don't simply tell boys what is wrong'. The previous Conservative government proposed changing the guidance on RSHE in May last year, with then-prime minister Rishi Sunak expressing concern children were being exposed to 'inappropriate' content. The draft guidance, which was open to a nine-week consultation, proposed clear age limits on the teaching of certain topics to ensure children were not 'exposed to too much too soon'. It said sex education should be taught no earlier than Year 5, when pupils are aged nine to 10, and that what is described as the 'contested topic of gender identity' should not be taught at all. The proposed guidance said schools should 'at minimum' show parents a representative sample of teaching resources they plan to use and that schools 'should respond positively to requests from parents to see material that has not already been shared'. While Tuesday's revised guidance includes the requirement to provide parents with teaching materials, the new Government has scrapped the proposal to prescribe specific ages at which individual topics are taught. The DfE said there would be a 'strong new emphasis on age-appropriate' teaching, and a 'clear dividing line' between primary and secondary school. But the guidance would allow teachers to 'sensitively respond to topics that children might have seen online or heard from their friends', with research suggesting 22% of primary school-aged girls had seen 'rude images online'. Tuesday's guidance also includes requirements on helping children with their mental health, including working with mental health professionals to discuss suicide prevention 'in an age-appropriate way'. Children will be taught the importance of 'grit and resilience' in order to help them 'feel able to take on challenges and risks'. Andy Airey, Mike Palmer and Tim Owen – who founded suicide prevention charity 3 Dads Walking in memory of their daughters – said: 'Giving schools permission to talk about suicide prevention means more young people can be supported to open up about difficult feelings and know where to find help. 'We know, from painful personal experience, how much this matters. This change will save lives.' Schools will be able to implement the guidance from September this year, and must follow it from September 2026.
The Independent
4 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
New school guidance aims to help boys ‘find positive role models' amid misogyny spike
New school guidance has been published to teach children how to combat misogyny and resist 'incel' culture, aiming to counter the spread of 'manosphere' content. The updated Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) framework will help boys find positive role models and address topics such as AI, deepfakes, and the link between pornography and misogyny. The Department for Education warned of the "epidemic scale" of misogynistic attitudes among young people, with 54 per cent having witnessed misogynist comments. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson stressed the importance of equipping children to defy online manipulation and fostering healthy attitudes from a young age. The guidance, which also includes mental health support and suicide prevention, can be implemented by schools from September this year and must be followed from September 2026.
