Research into the Social Purposes of Schooling: Personal and Social Education in Secondary Schools in England and Wales

Though the term 'PSE' is used in most secondary schools, it refers to a wide variety of programmes and practices. This is in part inevitable but the situation has been exacerbated by PSE's diverse origins and lack of clarity regarding its relationship to the National Curriculum. Having discussed the expectations of PSE in relation to social issues and the 'anxieties, sensitivities and controversy' that underlie this, the writer goes on to describe a piece of research which sought to survey a number of aspects of PSE nationally. The picture of existing practice, issues and problems of PSE in secondary schools is an illuminating one and provides a clear picture of current practice.