We're calling on the Scottish Government to:
- Introduce a duty on local authorities to provide relationships education
- Recognise children’s right to relationships and sex education in law
- Produce clearer guidance for teachers to help them deliver effective relationships education
- Provide teachers with the time and resource they need
Good RSHP education should not be a privilege. It should be a basic right that all young people have access to, especially because it has the power to keep them safe.
Aimee, 21
Add your voice
Show the Scottish Governement that you support a child's right to consistent delivery of relationships education.
Why does relationships education matter?
Healthy relationships education plays a key role in keeping children and young people safe. When education is inconsistent, children are less able to recognise harm, seek help, or build healthy relationships.
Relationships education empowers children with the knowledge that:
- their body belongs to them
- they deserve to be happy and healthy in all their relationships
- they can get help or support if they feel worried, upset or need to speak to someone
- they have a right to be treated - and responsibility to treat others - with dignity and respect
Relationships education can help pupils:
- recognise healthy and unhealthy behaviour
- reflect on their own experiences, behaviours and attitudes
- contribute to a positive school experience for all
- have healthy relationships more generally
Every young person deserves to be on an even playing field. Gaps in the curriculum often lead to young people turning elsewhere with their questions, such as online spaces, which can create unhealthy expectations about what healthy romantic and sexual relationships should look like.
Rachel, Age 19
Add your voice
Show the Scottish Governement that you support a child's right to consistent delivery of relationships education.
Details and support
RSHP stands for Relationship, Sexual Health and Parenthood.
RSHP education is a key part of the health and wellbeing curriculum in Scotland and covers from early years all the way up to S6, college and community-based learning.
RSHP education includes a whole range of subjects, taught in an age-appropriate way, from bodily autonomy and consent to relationships and friendships, sexual health and parenthood, emotional wellbeing, and equalities.
You can find a full list of the topics covered at rhsp.scot.
Different things are taught to different children at different ages and it is up to schools and teachers which issues they cover and when.
Children can learn about:
- the body, feelings, families and friendships in nursery and primary school
- puberty and reproduction, love and relationships, and consent in late primary and early secondary
- sexual health, rights, equality and harassment, and online safety in secondary school
Your child’s school may share the subjects your child will be taught at the start of the school year or term but you could also ask the school, class teacher, Head of Year, or Head Teacher which issues they cover and when.
For children and young people in faith-based schools the curriculum is guided by religious teachings. For Catholic schools, you can find more information about this on the Scottish Catholic Education Service’s website or by speaking with the school directly.
You can find a list of the topics covered, along with the teaching resources, at rshp.scot.
If your child has had an RSHP lesson in school, they might come home with some questions or want to talk more.
It might feel tricky or awkward but these conversations play an important role in developing children and young people’s understanding of sex and relationships.
There are some things you can do to make these conversations easier.
- Wait until your child is in a space that they can relax – both physically and emotionally
- Ask them what they covered in school and if they have any questions about it
- Don’t force the conversation, if they don’t want to talk re-visit it at another time
- Let them know that they can always come to you if they have any questions or feel worried or upset
- Don’t worry if don’t have the answer to all their questions immediately. Let them know you’ll do your best to find out what they need to know. You can call the NSPCC for advice or support on 0808 800 5000
- Signpost them to Childline for more information
