The government have recently launched a jointly chaired Advisory Group on
PSE to look at the place of PSE in the school curriculum. This fits in with
DfEE plans to revise the National Curriculum in September 1999. Tessa
Jowell, Health Minister and Estelle Morris, Education Minister are joint
chairs of this group - an indication that this government sees the personal
and social education of our young people as a joint responsibility.

The first meeting was held on 9th June and agreed on a rapid timetable of
consultation. Its remit is to provide advice on the aims and purposes of
PSHE,
clarify and define its terms, to develop a national framework for PSHE in
schools, and consider its relationship to other curriculum areas, particular
ly
citizenship, and democracy.

The group are very concerned to tackle the issue of parenthood education as
part of its focus and ask two specific questions: What aspects of
parenthood education - not least those arising from the White Paper
consultation - should be taught in schools?; and How can they can be
addresse within PSHE?

The group's task is to recommend programmes for parenthood education in
secondary schools amongst another four outcomes

Philip Hope MP is amongst the members of the group - he is the co-author of
'Tomorrow's Parents' - a summary of research carried out in 1995/6 into
the delivery of parenthood education in schools.

Jane Jenks is the vice chair of the group and also joint leader of the
Passport Project - an independently funded consultation designed to deliver
a coherent framework to PSE. Passport is funded by the Gulbenkian
Foundation with financial support from the DfEE and has been asked to
report to the Advisory Group and to QCA.

Other members include Prof Michael Barber, Head of Standards and
Effectiveness
Unit DfEE, Marianne Talbot, Consultant for QCA pilot project on Spiritual,
Moral, Social and Cultural Development and Chris Jones from QCA.