The campaign to improve sex education in schools has made a major breakthrough this week.

According to the Telegraph, Conservative MPs are backing a law change to force all secondary schools to make Relationship Education compulsory in the National Curriculum.

Currently, sex education is mandatory in maintained secondary schools, but not academies and free schools – which make up about two thirds of all secondaries in the UK.

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The changes, which were proposed in an amendment to the Children and Social Work Bill, would mean that teenagers would be taught about the meaning of consent in sexual relationships, sexual health and the dangers of online exploitation.

According to the bill, the classes would cover 'how to recognise and handle bullying and peer pressure, such as sexting, the meaning of consent, signs of an exploitative relationship, including physical, mental and sexual harassment, conflict management and safety online, such as exposure to pornography'.

However, the proposals ask schools to protect children from teaching and materials which are inappropriate having regard to the age and religious background of the pupils concerned.

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MPs are expected to vote on the amendment by the end of February, and if it receives support from the Opposition, the reform could be put in place for the next academic year in September.

David Burrowes, the Tory MP leading the amendment, is hopeful that Parliament will back the new law.

He told the publication: 'We are looking forward to the Government positively responding to this. It ensures that sex education when it comes in a child's life has a relationship basis.

'This would mean that it deals with what is at the heart of people's concerns which is people's resilience, strong relationships and how to handle issues around pornography and sexual harassment,' he added.

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The bill comes after education inspection body Ofsted reported the teaching of sex and relationships education was not at an acceptable standard in approximately one-third of schools in 2014.

Chair of the Sex Education Forum Jane Lees commented: 'For too long young people have been telling us about what they wish they had learnt in school about consent and relationships and how better knowledge of their body and sexual health facts could have kept them safe and healthier.'

Finally, that could be about to change.

From: Netdoctor