The head of the students’ association in Perth has backed a compulsory test on understanding sexual consent at the start of university.
But HISA (Highland and Islands Students’ Association) Perth president Alex Wilson believes it should not replace the “educating and training” of students on the topic.
It comes after The Higher Education Policy Institute’s UK-wide survey found 58 per cent of students backed the idea to show attendees “fully understand” the conduct at the start of university.
The report, carried out in August 2020, examined students’ experience of sex and relationships - and said the findings challenged some of the stereotypes about student life, which was “less hedonistic than is sometimes supposed”.
Commenting on the survey, HISA Perth president Alex Wilson highlighted the positive services already offered at Perth College UHI and suggests a more two-way approach may be as, if not more, effective.
“At HISA, we strongly believe in the importance of educating our students and young people on consent and sex education as a whole,” she told the PA.
“While a compulsory test on understanding sexual consent is a good idea with positive intentions, understanding does not equate to compliance and we should not be avoiding the hard work that needs to be done and the conversations that need to be had regarding sexual abuse and harassment.
“Not only could this test be incredibly triggering for survivors, but it raises questions about how a fail or pass would be handled in the event of sexually predatory behaviour taking place on or off campus.
“We wholeheartedly believe that the focus should be on educating and training our students, and we hope that this test would not act as a replacement to this.”
In addition to Perth College UHI’s Student Code of Conduct, the Student Engagement Team run a variety of awareness sessions with student groups covering topics including sex and consent.
In the past, HISA has held a university wide consent workshop with the Rape and Sexual Abuse Service Highland (RASASH) and locally, HISA Perth has also hosted workshops on this issue in partnership with Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre (RASAC) Perth and Kinross.
Alex continued: “Moving forward, we will continue to prioritise sex education and an understanding of consent at Perth College UHI and across the University of the Highlands and Islands.
“Our main priority has and always will be our students’ welfare and we are fully dedicated to supporting them through their student journey.
“Any student experiencing gender based assaults or sexual violence can access support through the local student support services at their college or can find a comprehensive list of external agencies on the university website.”
A Perth College UHI spokesperson added: “Our students are asked to adhere to our Student Code of Conduct and to conduct themselves responsibly as part of our college community.
“In addition, our Student Engagement Team runs a variety of awareness sessions with student class groups, with ‘sex and consent’ one of the topics covered to assist their understanding of relationships, as part of our commitment to supporting our students during their time at Perth College UHI.”
