INCLUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS AND SEX EDUCATION: SUPPORTING CHILDREN FROM FAITH COMMUNITIES

AHRC资助的一个为期3年的研究项目--故事性关系--的发现，有可能为英国中学提供新的性教育课程，以尊重来自宗教社区的父母和孩子的宗教敏感性和权利。学校在规划关系和性教育(RSE)时必须考虑学生的宗教背景，尽管我们的初步研究表明，许多人不确定如何做到这一点，或者如何履行向父母解释他们打算教什么的法定义务。这就需要(1)适应宗教背景儿童的需要和权利的教学资源，以及(2)支持试图与信仰社区的父母接触的学校和教师。性关系故事化项目的发现满足了上述每一种需求。尽管该项目最关心的是巴基斯坦血统的年轻英国穆斯林，但它得出了与其他宗教团体相关的更广泛的结论。我们发现，有宗教背景的年轻人发现谈论性和爱情尤其困难，而且这种沉默可能是有害的。我们还发现，年轻人正在打破这些沉默，并在他们的信仰范围内这样做，故事是实现这一点的重要载体。我们建议将这些发现--关于打破性和爱的沉默的可能性--应用到宗教敏感的RSE的传递中。该项目围绕两个主要的影响和参与活动：制作和分享适应信仰社区需求的RSE教学资源包；以及发起信仰RSE家长论坛。教学资源包将利用通过故事关系项目产生的故事方法和精选的印刷版和短片故事。信仰RSE论坛的父母还将利用通过故事性关系项目产生的洞察力，寻找方法提出被广泛认为是私人的、敏感的和信仰社区不合时宜的问题。这些活动产生的影响旨在超出项目的时间范围。教学资源包将是可更新的，这样用户将能够介绍新鲜的和与当地相关的内容。从设立论坛中吸取的经验教训将以工具包的形式提炼出来。这种影响和参与工作的好处将得到广泛分享，从这些活动将在谢菲尔德地区(包括唐卡斯特)开始，然后通过更广泛的网络。教学资源和工具包将通过邮寄和在线传播、通过伙伴网络以及通过国家方案发展司活动、面对面和在线免费提供。该项目将与两个组织合作进行：Faithstar是一家总部设在谢菲尔德的非营利性组织，与不同的信仰团体合作，在挑战偏见和误解的同时建立理解与合作；以及Shefffield E-Learning，一家受委托为谢菲尔德地区的学校提供教学材料的教育咨询公司，通过这些材料提供新的RSE。该项目雇用的一名博士后研究员将被借调到Faithstar，作为社区外展工作者，领导Faith RSE论坛的父母。项目小组将与谢菲尔德电子学习小组成员合作，与学校接触，试行资源，建立论坛并开展CPD活动，通过这些活动初步传播资源包。该项目还将由一个专家小组提供建议，其中包括项目合作伙伴的代表和谢菲尔德地区不同学校的RSE教师。

The findings of Storying Sexual Relationships, a 3-year research project funded by the AHRC, have the potential to inform the delivery of a new Sex Education curriculum in secondary schools in England, in a manner that respects the religious sensitivities and rights of parents and children from faith communities.Schools must consider the religious background of pupils when planning Relationships and Sex Education (RSE), though our preliminary research has shown that many are not sure how to do this, or how to deliver on their statutory obligation to explain to parents what they propose to teach. This establishes a need for (1) teaching resources adapted to the needs and rights of children from religious backgrounds, and also for (2) supporting schools and teachers who are attempting to engage with parents from faith communities. The findings of the Storying Sexual Relationships project speak to each of these needs. Though concerned most directly with young British Muslims of Pakistani heritage, that project reached broader conclusions, relevant to other faith communities. We found that young people with religious backgrounds find it particualrly hard to talk about sex and love, and that this silence can be damaging. We also found that young people are breaking these silences, and doing so within the bounds of their faith, and that stories are an important vehicle for this. We propose to adapt these findings - about the possibilities of breaking silences about sex and love - to the delivery of religiously sensitive RSE. This project revolves around two main impact and engagement activities: making and sharing RSE Teaching Resource Packs that are adapted to the needs of faith communities; and launching a Parents of Faith RSE Forum. The Teaching Resource Packs will draw upon the storying methods and a selection of stories, in print and short films, generated through the Storying Relationships project. The Parents of Faith RSE Forum will also draw upon the insights, generated through the Storying Sexual Relationships project, regarding the search for ways to broach issues that are widely regarded as private, sensitive and out of place in faith communities. The impacts, arising from these activities, are designed to outlive the time horizons of the project. The teaching resource packs will be renewable, such that users will be able to introduce fresh and locally relevant content. Lessons learned from setting up the Forum will be distilled in the form of a Toolkit. The benefits of this impact and engagement work will be shared widely, beginning in the Sheffield region (including Doncaster) where these activities will take place, and then through wider networks. Teaching resources and the Toolkit will be shared through postal and online dissemination, through partner networks, and through CPD events, delivered face to face and online, free of charge. This project will be conducted in partnership with two organisations: Faithstar, a Sheffield-based not-for-profit organisation that works with diverse faith communities to build 'understanding and cooperation whilst challenging prejudice and misconception'; and Sheffield E-Learning, an educational consultancy that has been commissioned to provide schools in the Sheffield region with teaching materials through which to deliver the new RSE. A postdoctoral researcher, employed by the project, will be seconded part-time to Faithstar, working as a community outreach worker, leading on the Parents of Faith RSE Forum. The project team will work with Sheffield E-Learning Team members to engage schools, pilot the resources, build the forum and run CPD events, through which initial dissemination of the resource packs will take place. The project will also be advised by a group of experts including representatives of the project partners and RSE teachers from diverse schools across the Sheffield region.