Moray mum calls for change to RSHP education after daughter shown ‘inappropriate material’
A Moray mum is calling for a change to how sex education is taught in primary schools after "inappropriate" material left her daughter feeling "anxious" and "stressed".
Emma Cormie was surprised when her nine-year-old daughter told her that she and her friend had seen "pictures of a naked man" after getting home from school in Elgin two weeks ago.
Mrs Cormie concluded that her daughter was referring to the RSHP (Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenthood) education programme which is taught as part of the Health and Wellbeing area of the Curriculum for Excellence in Scotland.
But she had not been given prior warning by the school, the identity of which Mrs Cormie does not wish to disclose, that her daughter was about to undergo this part of the curriculum.
Mrs Cormie said: “I absolutely would have wanted a personal email to inform me that this was starting.
“That way I could have supported my daughter through it.
“I asked other parents if they knew this was starting and I found out it was put on the school blog but there was no explicit notice given.
“But then I got sent the official teaching materials from the RSHP.
“I was just utterly shocked at what I was seeing.
“It was far beyond any kind of expectation that I had for this subject for this age of children.
“My whole concern is that my daughter showed extreme anxiety after getting this programme in school.
“She did not want to attend school the next day.”
Sex education in Scotland is covered by the RSHP curriculum which, according to the Scottish Government, provides a “comprehensive set of learning activities” for use in early learning settings such as nurseries as well as primary and secondary schools.
It covers physical changes, sexual health and sexuality, the role of the parent/carer and positive relationships.
But Mrs Cormie believes some of the material is not “age-appropriate”.
She is not alone in that belief. A post on Facebook , in which she included some of the material intended for P7 pupils, saw hundreds of commenters agree with her.
Another parent, who wishes to remain anonymous, said that the extent of the material shown to their child, who is in P5, was “eye-opening”.
They said: “We had no indication that this was going to be taught.
“The only mention was a blog post but there was no mention of how in depth it would be.
“I definitely think there are important parts of the programme but learning that our kids are being taught in this way with fully graphic visuals was eye opening.
“My daughter was entirely uncomfortable and didn’t want to go to school for the lessons.”
Moray Council says teachers in the region have some flexibility in what they teach but added that they are still expected to abide by national guidance.
The local authority also says that explicit warning to parents is only given depending on the nature of the content being taught.
A council spokesperson said: “The level and form of communication may vary, but schools do make efforts to inform parents when sensitive topics are being introduced, ensuring they are aware and can engage in the process.”
They added: “Schools encourage parents/carers to raise any concerns they may have, ensuring that their requests are addressed in a way that aligns with both the family’s needs and the school’s educational responsibilities.”
Mrs Cormie says she is not against RSHP but has called for more input from parents and for the current curriculum to be reassessed.
She said: “My whole issue is with the policy-making because I need to know what research has been done to determine this to be age-appropriate.
“Obviously I’ve been told that it’s normal for children to be embarrassed and so on but at what point is it harmful to a very young child.
“Parents know their children best and teachers are under enough stress as it is so there needs to be more liaising with parents.
“There is absolutely a need to cover these topics that are essential for our children to know about but that is very very different from some of this material.
“Let our children be children. They have one childhood.”