Debbie Abrahams calls on government to make sex education a priority for school children after local media exposes classroom exploitation

Debbie Abrahams has called for the government to make age related sex education for school children compulsory after a Saddleworth and Oldham based publication has highlighted cases of children around the country being exploited whilst secretly using live streaming apps during lessons.

Debbie Abrahams, MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth and Shadow Minister for Disabled People, said: “This is a shocking revelation by the locally based Government & Public Sector Journal (GPSJ) and we must all do everything we can to warn children, their parents, carers, and schools about the potential dangers.

“Labour has highlighted increasing evidence that access to new media and technology is creating new and unprecedented risks for young people.

“We’ve also said that we want to make personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) classes, which covers age appropriate sex education, compulsory in all state-funded schools in England and this would be one of the first things Labour would do in government. On the other hand the Government is only saying it will keep the subject’s status under review.

“This seems short-sighted to me when you consider the official guidance to all schools, including academies, on sex-and-relationships education has not been updated since 2000, before the smartphone generation were even born.

“The Government really should make this issue a priority and stop stalling.

“The longer they stall the more young people will be hurt by this misuse of modern technology.”

The full story can be read on the journals website: www.gpsj.co.uk/?p=3394