BY JACK WELCH

When reflecting on the strengths of personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) lessons in our schools, for most young people it will bring a strong association of time to ‘switch off ’ and where, in many cases, the teachers themselves are often not strictly qualified in the subject area.

For sex and relationships education (SRE) and other unassessed topics like it, it is rarely taken seriously by pupil or teacher.

This month, the government took the necessary step in finally making SRE a compulsory subject tailored to appropriate age groups across all schools in England, whether they are council-run or not.

More importantly, there will also be an emphasis on the more emotional aspects in this new provision, where a report by Ofsted in 2013 noted that 38 per cent of secondary school teachers were inadequately prepared to deal with sensitive discussions.

While full enrolment is expected in 2019, it is urgent to now make sure the curriculum is designed for pupils of all backgrounds.

The government is at last on the right track, but there can only be success if teaching is of high quality and is making a difference to learners.