Britain currently has the highest rates of teenage pregnancy in Europe, and alarmingly high levels of sexually transmitted infections among teens. In response, the government has pledged to cut teenage pregnancies in half by 2010. The Big Debate looks into how we have arrived at this point, and what schools and the government can do to rectify the problem. The government has recently rejected plans to make PSHE a statutory part of the National Curriculum, but pressure groups vow to fight on. Does PSHE deserve a compulsory place in the National Curriculum? If so, what role should SRE play within this? When should it be taught and do we have enough trained teachers to handle the complicated issues surrounding it? These are but some of the questions in this highly contentious field, which centre around the role of the school in addressing family relationships and asks whether parents are pulling their weight in the upbringing of their children.

Video Series: Jonathan Dimbleby Big Debate
Release Date 2006