Ever since parenthood education was named in the Government's White Paper
'Excellence in Schools' there has been a great deal of interest in the
subject.
Recently the DfEE launched an Advisory Group on Personal and Social
Education. It was jointly chaired by two Ministers and its aim was to
formulate a cohesive picture of PSE for the new Millennium and ask QCA (the
Qualification sand Curriculum Authority) to devise a coherent approach to
PSE
that would make a real dofference to young people's adult lives.
The Group held three meetings and is about to launch its conclusions. Part
of
its remit was to consider what place there will be for parenthood education.
Our contacts tell us that parenthood education will form a part of the
picture, but the emphasis will be on the core competencies common to all PSE
topics. This is good news for the parenthood education lobby. We have been
arguing for some time that skills such as communication and reflection are
essential for a whole range of relationships, whether these be with your
parents or children, with your planet or with your friends.
Lets hope that parenthood education is set to play a major role in educating
our young people for adulthood in the 21st century.
No news yet about the 'Parenting Institute' heralded by the Home Office. Its
all gone rather quiet. Watch this space or search the www.opengov.uk Home
Office site.
The Passport Group have just published their draft of a postion statement on
PSE. This group chaired by Prof John Tomknson has been examining the whole
approach to Personal , social and health education in an effort to persuade
the government about the need for a radical overhaul. The draft document is
very full and offers several intricate diagrams to convey the complexity and
interrelatedness of the picture. Gone are the days when PSE classes stood
compleetly alone and at the mwercy of the year tutor on that day. Lets hope
that all the work of the Passport group will influence the DfEE in the right
direction. Parenthood of course makes it inot the draft. Watch this space
for
details of where to get the final document.
