Lessons at primary school about female genital mutilation

A school in Bristol is thought to have become the first primary in the country to warn pupils about the dangers of female genital mutilation in lessons.

St Werburgh’s Primary is teaching 10 and 11 year olds about the illegal practice, which involves the removal of parts of girls’ sexual organs, in personal, social and health education lessons.

The practice is a tradition in some Muslim African cultures and it is estimated that about 24,000 children in the UK are at risk of undergoing the practice, either in this country or after being taken abroad.

A teacher and learning mentor are teaching Year 6 girls at the inner city school to understand the issue and possible warning signs that they may become a victim.

Head teacher Claire Smith said: “We don’t go into graphic detail...but they need to know that, if someone starts talking about becoming a woman or being clean, with a holiday or a celebration and presents, they should talk to somebody they trust.”

Ms Smith has received parents’ consent for the issues around the issue to be included in lessons.

Families making special holiday requests for girls, possibly to allow wounds time to heal, are asked outright whether they are planning to carry out FGM on their daughters.

Ms Smith says she has alerted police and social services to at-risk children several times in five years. She has called for the lessons to be made statutory, so parents cannot opt out.

Jenny Weston, the school’s learning mentor, said that pupils went through a range of emotions during PSHE lessons, from intrigue to upset, but most were comfortable in a small session.

Ten other primary schools in Bristol had received training about the issue in the past year. The city council is urging all schools to ‘address FGM’ regardless of their racial mix.

At four secondary schools in the city, a role-play exercise and a DVD are being used to inform teenagers.

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