Hansard

Scotland is no different from any other country across the world, in that our young people and children are living increasingly complex lives. Sadly, many experience bullying and stresses at school, while others may face a multitude of problems at home, such as poverty or abuse. Those pressures have existed for generations, but with the increase in the use of social media and with people’s lives now shared online, such problems can be amplified and are harder to escape from. Helping our children and young people to cope with those pressures is paramount, and schools can play a leading role in supporting them, through the teaching of PSE.

Alongside the formal evidence sessions and focus groups that were held, the Education and Skills Committee also asked the public what personal and social education sessions should be about and how they should be delivered.

As James Dornan mentioned, the response that the committee received from pupils on social media and by email was overwhelming, and the committee is incredibly clear that pupils find that good-quality PSE is invaluable to them. It was evident that there are particular subjects that should be taught in PSE, including sex and relationships education, education about inclusivity, drug and alcohol misuse and financial planning, and learning and talking about mental health.

Sex and relationships education—the core issue that the committee concludes should be taught in PSE—must go further than merely talking about biology and must properly discuss sex and relationships. The committee took evidence from various organisations and charities that were of the opinion that there is a real lack of teaching in school about consent and the diversity of relationships, including LGBTI relationships. Shockingly, the committee received evidence that some LGBTI young people’s sex education was learned online, due to a lack of adequate provision in their schools.

Nonetheless, there are many positive and innovative examples across Scotland of how PSE is taught in our schools, and several could be looked at as models of best practice. I was delighted to learn that Cathkin high school, in my constituency of Rutherglen, has an incredibly varied and thorough PSE programme, in which pupils are taught about relationships and sexual health in PSE classes from second year through to fourth year. Trinity high school, which is also in my constituency, has worked with external organisations during PSE lessons. For example, police and fire service personnel come to classes, allowing pupils to learn what happens outside the school environment. That ensures that their PSE reflects and is tailored to the real world.

Drawing on the expertise of people outside teaching provides another perspective on life, and it equips students with the skills and information that they need to thrive. One of the committee’s recommendations, which the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills agreed with in his response to the report, was that PSE should involve external contributors with relevant specialisms, so I was particularly pleased to hear that that already happens in South Lanarkshire schools.

Unfortunately, there are schools across Scotland whose delivery of the subject is not to such a high standard. One of the main findings that is mentioned throughout the report is the lack of consistency and effectiveness in the delivery of PSE. That issue was also highlighted by the session 4 Health and Sport Committee and the current Equalities and Human Rights Committee.

Although PSE is not mandatory, there are statutory requirements in relation to health and equalities. However, the committee is concerned that the importance placed on health and wellbeing is not borne out in schools across the board.

Health and wellbeing is spread across the curriculum for excellence. It is one of the three core areas—the other two are literacy and numeracy—that are the responsibility of all staff in the school. Despite that aim of central Government and the fact that the Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) Scotland Act 2007 places a duty on all schools to be health promoting, the committee found that that is not always the case at local level.

The health-promoting duty also covers mental health, but those who responded to the committee persuasively reported that that issue is not sufficiently covered in PSE. The Scottish Youth Parliament’s submission to the committee on the topic said:

“Young people have told us that there is not enough focus on mental health in PSE.”

Its research, to which almost 1,500 young people contributed, found that

“the quality of education on mental health and wellbeing is varied across the country.”

The Scottish Association for Mental Health estimates that three pupils in every classroom will experience a mental health issue by the time that they are 16, while the World Health Organization has found that up to 20 per cent of children and adolescents across the world suffer a mental illness in any given year. Who do many of those children and young people turn to for help? They turn to their class teachers and their guidance teachers.

Young people want to learn and talk about sex and relationships, alcohol and drugs misuse and mental health issues in an atmosphere where they feel safe and supported. We should give them that opportunity at school, during PSE.

Schools are vital settings in which to promote positive wellbeing, challenge mental health stigma and tackle biphobia, transphobia and homophobia. Therefore, I hope that key stakeholders across Scotland note the conclusions reached and recommendations made by the Education and Skills Committee in its report.

The committee is clear that PSE in its current form is too inconsistent. I am pleased that the Government has committed to reviewing the matter in the new mental health strategy. I have confidence in the Scottish Government to complete the review in the near future, ensuring that all schools across Scotland teach good-quality PSE for the benefit of all our pupils.