Education secretary Gillian Keegan will write to schools again to reiterate the need for leaders to share relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) curriculum materials with parents. The Department for Education has also drawn up a sample letter that it says schools can use if curriculum providers attempt to forbid the sharing of their resources. Government said that firms providing lessons 鈥渃annot use copyright law to forbid schools from sharing materials” because of the 鈥渃lear public interest in parents being aware of what their children are being taught鈥. The sample letter, to be published tomorrow, will state contractual clauses preventing this are 鈥渧oid on the grounds they are unenforceable鈥. Keegan, who will write to schools during half-term tomorrow, said her intervention should help “debunk the copyright myth”. Delayed RSHE guidance release ‘later in year’ Meanwhile, it has been revealed the DfE’s delayed draft RSHE guidance will be published 鈥渇or full public consultation later this year鈥, following its review into the curriculum. Keegan had “asked an independent panel to advise us on how we can introduce age limits to RSHE teaching” in March. She argued this “will make sure children are always taught sensitive content in an appropriate manner and at the right time”. Gillian Keegan At the time, the department said the document would be released in the 鈥渃oming months鈥, with the consultation expected to conclude before the end of this December. In a statement released this evening, Keegan said: 鈥淣o ifs, no buts and no more excuses. This government is acting to guarantee parents鈥 fundamental right to know what their children are being taught in sex and relationships education. 鈥淧arents must be empowered to ask and schools should have the confidence to share.鈥 She has also penned an open letter, due to be sent tomorrow, to parents encouraging them to 鈥渉ave confidence in their right to know what their children are seeing and being taught鈥. The DfE stated firms 鈥渃annot use copyright law to forbid schools from sharing materials鈥. Changes should ‘reassure parents’ over RSHE Government said if parents are unable to attend a presentation or view resources online, schools may provide copies of materials for them to take home on request. But this is provided parents agree not to copy the content or share it further. Parentkind CEO Jason Elsom said polls carried out by his charity found 鈥減arents wanted to be consulted by schools in advance鈥 of RSHE lessons. He argued they are more likely 鈥渢o have confidence in the curriculum and be supportive of the content鈥. Reacting to the announcement, Geoff Barton, general secretary of school leaders鈥 union ASCL, said the 鈥渃larification over copyright law is helpful鈥. But he is concerned the letter to headteachers and parents 鈥渃reates an expectation that schools will publish every piece of planning and resource used across the RSHE curriculum鈥. ‘Unusual to send schools letter in half-term’ 鈥淭his is a huge additional workload requirement at a time when they are already significantly overburdened. Geoff Barton 鈥淪chools are in fact doing their level best to provide high-quality RSHE despite the lack of sufficient government investment in staff training or resources to deliver this important requirement.鈥 Barton added that it was 鈥渦nusual鈥 Keegan chose 鈥渢o write to schools at a time when many of them are on half-term breaks. If the government had spoken to the sector in advance of this statement we might have been able to resolve the practical difficulties it raises.鈥 National Association of Headteachers general secretary Paul Whiteman noted that what was “missing” from the announcement is the RSHE consultation and “much-needed guidance around complex issues such as supporting transgender pupils in school”. “It is this that both parents and schools need clarity on, and which the government still seem no closer to delivering.” Keegan wrote to schools seven months ago to remind them they are required by law to publish their RSHE policy and consult parents on it.聽 She advised them at the time that they should also provide all curriculum materials to parents and stop entering into contracts that seek to prevent parents from seeing materials.