UK Youth Parliament –
Young people from across the UK research and launch report recommendations at Westminster.
Youth Select Committee calls on UK Government to address postcode lottery of PSHE teaching
On Wednesday 25 March, the Youth Select Committee launched its new report setting out recommendations for Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education reform. The 2025/26 Committee, comprised of twelve young people aged 14 to 19, conducted an inquiry into the delivery of PSHE education in secondary schools. The report follows several months of evidence gathering, including written submissions, expert testimony and engagement with young people from across the United Kingdom.
In selecting the topic, the committee wanted to understand; whether PSHE is taught consistently across schools and nations; how teachers are supported in delivering sensitive topics; the impact of knowledge gaps on adult outcomes; and how political education can be embedded to support democratic participation. Inquiry witnesses included the Department for Education; the Sex Education Forum; Shout Out UK and the PSHE Association. The Committee also received written evidence – from students and guardians, as well as other professionals working in education – along with survey responses from teachers and students about their experiences with PSHE.
The Committee’s key findings and recommendations include:
- Postcode lottery: The Committee found disparities in the quality and frequency of PSHE provision across regional areas in England and in the equivalent topics in the devolved nations – with affluent areas and schools better equipped to invest in external experts more readily.
- The Committee is calling for the UK Government to close this gap in England by introducing statutory status to the subject, and to work with the devolved nations to replicate the same standards of teaching across the UK.
- With the voting age expected to be lowered to 16, the Committee believes PSHE plays a critical democratic role, providing a key opportunity for all young people to receive equal access to the political and media literacy skills they’ll need for life.
- Missing the mark: The Committee found that teachers often lacked the skills and confidence to deliver sensitive and specialist sessions themselves, and young people felt that when these topics were discussed, the content came after the point of their usefulness.
- The Committee recommends ringfenced funding for teacher training and to enable schools to consistently bring in peer educators to support these topics and in time for them to be useful.
- Responding to the Committee’s survey, which asked whether ‘the topics covered in lessons help preparation for adult life’ only 30% of student respondents said yes.
- Out of date: The Committee learned that the guidance teachers receive is failing to keep up with the new challenges facing young people. This has been leaving young people to seek out answers for themselves – which has increasingly been through social media.
- The Committee is calling for a more dynamic approach to PSHE policy creation, which should be refreshed regularly to reflect emerging risks – including AI generated content.
”“How young people engage with each other and the world around them is discussed everywhere, but we rarely feel part of the conversation. PSHE is a critical opportunity for schools and society more broadly to bring young people into these conversations.
Bobby Forbes (North West)Chair of the Youth Select Committee
“Our inquiry findings outline plainly just how varied the experiences of PSHE are across our peer group – with topic choices, timing, and funding all playing a role in the current postcode lottery of PSHE.
“PSHE can set you up with the tools needed to navigate adult life – from personal relationships to political and media literacy skills. With the voting age expected to be lowered to 16, this is a timely opportunity for the Government to ensure that this learning is afforded to all young people.
About the Youth Select Committee
The Youth Select Committee is part of the UK Youth Parliament programme delivered by the National Youth Agency and supported by the House of Commons. It is jointly funded by Parliament and the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport.
The members for 2025 – 26 are:
| Bobby Forbes, North West (Chair) |
| Thomas Grimshaw, East Midlands (Deputy Chair) |
| George Hare, East of England |
| Myra Soni, London |
| Oliver Huermann, North East |
| Robyn Ballantyne, Northern Ireland |
| Jamie Dickson, Scotland |
| Maya Lina Guelbert, South East · |
| Elliot Prentice, South West |
| Evie Somers, Wales |
| Olivia Harold, West Midlands |
| Ashaz Abbass, Yorkshire and Humber |
