MPs push for sex education transparency where parents could see lesson plans under new law

Parents could be able to see sex education lesson plans and other materials under a new law proposed by a Conservative MP.

Miriam Cates, the MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge, will today introduce a ‘sex education transparency’ Private Members’ Bill.

It would create a legal duty for English schools to share materials used in relationships and sex education (RSE) lessons with parents, and prevent schools from using unpublished materials if they are produced by a third-party provider.

It comes amid an urgent review into the harmful and graphic sex ed material being peddled to youngsters in schools.

The review, launched by Rishi Sunak, is likely to propose changes to the curriculum following complaints from parents about the use of explicit material for young children.

Schools will also get film-style age ratings in a bid to protect children, the Department for Education (DfE) has already announced.

The proposal comes after Clare Page, 47, lost a legal fight to see the sex education lesson plan used at her daughter’s school.

A judge ruled that the commercial interests of the third-party provider outweighed the public interest in having the school hand over the material.

In March, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan wrote to all schools warning them not to keep parents in the dark over their sex education material.