Parents are to lose the right to withdraw their offspring from sex education classes, once the child reaches the age of 15. Skip related content
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Parents lose sex education rights
The move means all teenagers will receive at least one year's worth of lessons covering sex, contraception and relationships before the age of consent.
Schools Secretary Ed Balls has said faith schools will not be able to opt out of any part of the new curriculum, although they will be able to teach topics within the "tenets of their faith".
So-called Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education is to become compulsory in both primary and secondary schools from September 2011.
Under current rules parents have the right to withdraw their child from sex education classes up until the age of 19.
Tributes have been paid to a schoolgirl who died after slipping in her high heels and falling under a train while waving goodbye to her friends.
