Teach-Secondary-14.1

decision too late and suffer regret as a result. If we’re going to have PSHE lessons, then they should be perhaps confined to verifiable facts that could empower future adults to make more informed decisions. Moreover, it’s clear that at high school age, young people’s long-term aspirations rarely extend much beyond their education and career options. To confuse matters further, some parents may assume that teachers are already talking about such issues in the classroom, since teachers have now taken on responsibility for covering sex and relationships education. Ableakpicture However, what often happens inmandatory PSHE lessons is that teachers are expected to ameliorate the problems caused by the latest moral crisis. Children learn about negative social trends, such as toxic masculinity and abusive relationships. By the age of 18, some children might even have formed the impression that human relationships are inevitably fraught with conflict. The PSHE curriculum can paint such a bleak picture of human nature that it’s perhaps little wonder that people are put off starting families. Pupils don’t express concern in survey feedback that they’re not discussing starting a family in PSHE lessons, but then the need for starting such a discussion won’t have even occurred to them. So much emphasis is being placed on informing children about what dysfunctional relationships look like, when they would instead be better served with knowledge that will help them face those inevitable big life decisions. Even when children do learn about the realities of starting a family, it can sometimes be presented negatively. Anne Fine’s 1994 novel The Flour Babies depicts a school where pupils foster bags of flour standing in for babies to illustrate the endless responsibilities of parenthood. Many teachers have since have imitated this by tasking their own charges with escorting flour bags from lesson to lesson. Childcare, this ‘flour babies’ exercise seems to imply, is a thankless chore. With birthrate statistics being what they are, it’s a message that may have hit home perhaps a little too well. Scrooge’s lamention In contrast, Charles Dickens’ widely-taught novel, A Christmas Carol , contains the implicit message that having children is central to happiness and fulfilment. When Ebenezer Scrooge and the Ghost of Christmas Past visit Belle, Scrooge’s ex-fiance, they see that she is married with several ‘uproarious’ children. As Scrooge is left to agonise over what being a father might have been like, his feelings are worsened all the more by his realisation that any redemption will come too late for procreation. And yet, lesson resources and study guides for A Christmas Carol draw little attention to Dickens’ evident belief that the presence of children provides meaning and fulfilment. Scrooge’s lamentation at not having children, and Belle’s joy in her family, provide an opportunity to remind pupils that life is short, and that decisions taken now can have far-reaching consequences. Additionally, while there are genuine reasons for concern around climate change, schools need to balance such pessimismwith optimism. Yes, humans can cause profound damage to the environment, but they can also preserve and improve it – though the latter point often falls victim to climate alarmism. It’s therefore little wonder that more young people are consciously staying child-free to absolve themselves of guilt for increasing their carbon footprint. As reported by the BBC (tiny.cc/ts141-TP3 ), a 2022 online survey of adults in 11 countries conducted by NottinghamUniversity found that nearly half of the respondents cited ‘climate anxiety’ as a reason for avoiding, or later regretting not having children. Asense of perspective Between having a career and having a child, many are prioritising the former, which in turn increases competitiveness for university places and jobs. Following the government’s introduction of educational league tables in 1992, teachers began placing greater emphasis on grade attainment. Students thus found themselves under enormous pressure to perform academically, encouraged as they were to see their worthmainly in terms of academic success. Teachers, though, can provide children with an important sense of perspective. When a former student becomes, say, a CEO or a doctor, their story will often be (rightly) celebrated on the school’s website. In addition to celebrating career achievements, maybe schools could also acknowledge former students and role models who have succeeded as parents. After all, many parents will say that raising children was the most important and valuable thing that they have ever done. Somewhere in their schooling, it would be good if children get to hear that message. I understand why many would argue that schools ought stay out of the issue of falling birth rates entirely. Schools are, however, in a position to develop the character and values of children who may one day be grateful for the lesson that staying child-free doesn’t necessarily make everyone content. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ian Mitchell has worked as a teacher of English and psychology across both the state and independent sectors IN BRIEF WHAT’S THE ISSUE? The introduction of statutory PSHE in schools has led to children and teens being consistently taught about the risks of adult relationships, with comparatively less focus on the personal and societal benefits of starting a family. WHAT’S BEING SAID? Surveys are appearing to show young people starting families later in life, if at all, often citing career concerns, and sometimes wider societal issues, such as the threats posed by climate change. THE TAKEAWAY While additional factors will be involved, there’s an argument to be made that the decline in birthrate observed in recent years could be at least partly attributable to the relative paucity of encouraging messaging directed at young people as to why raising a family can be personally fulfilling and socially advantageous. 13 teachwire.net/secondary H O T TO P I C