Schoolchildren are to be given the chance to take part in a controversial survey which asks intimate sexual questions.
The Scottish Government’s health and wellbeing survey has been criticised for asking pupils as young as 14 questions regarding what, if any, sexual experiences they have had.
Local authorities have the option not to take part in the survey or choose which questions are put to pupils.
A council spokesman said: “Dumfries and Galloway schools plan to offer young people the opportunity to respond to the health and wellbeing survey from February 2022.
“To assure young people and parents, our youth council have been asked to consider whether they wish to give us any additional advice around how best we approach this work to identify issues children and young people are concerned about and to tailor our advice and support services accordingly.”
The survey is for all children in primary and secondary schools, with the sexual questions being put to pupils in S4, S5 and S6.
There are also questions on bullying and mental health.
When the matter was raised during First Minister’s Questions, Nicola Sturgeon confirmed the survey would continue.
She said: “The census is not mandatory for local authorities to use in school or for children, given that parents may or may not consent to their child taking part. Pupils themselves can, if they wish, opt out of the survey.
“We have two choices: either we can bury our heads in the sand and pretend that young people are not exposed to the issues or pressures that we know that they are exposed to, or we can seek to properly understand the reality that young people face and then provide them with the guidance, advice and services that they need to make safe, healthy and positive decisions. I choose the latter.”
