The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) is backing a call by the Education Select Committee to make personal, social, and health education (PSHE) statutory in schools in a bid to reduce injuries among children.
RoSPA's National Safety Education Committee (NSEC) wants ministers at the Department for Education (DfE) to include safety education in PSHE to help reduce the toll of harm to children.
The Safety charity, which produced written evidence to the select committee, has welcomed its report on Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) and Sex and Relationships Education (SRE), published today.
Recommendations highlighted in the report include reinstating funding for the continuous professional development for PSHE teachers and school nurses, as well as calls for Ofsted to resume its regular subject surveys of PSHE provision.
It also suggests the DfE should develop a working plan for introducing PSHE as statutory subjects in primary and secondary schools.
Errol Taylor, RoSPA's deputy chief executive, said: "Accidental injuries are the leading cause of death and disability for children and young people. Statutory provision of PSHE will help reduce the toll of harm by giving children and young people the knowledge to recognise and cope with everyday hazards."
Dr John Lloyd, NSEC chairman, said: "This is a wonderful opportunity to ensure that the entitlement to high-quality PSHE, which includes safety education for all children and young people in our schools, however they are funded, is met and for them to receive a properly planned curriculum taught by well-trained, confident and competent teachers."
