Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham asks about access to role models for young men

The Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham asked a question on tailoring school PSHE programmes to facilitate opportunities for young men to access positive role models on 6th May 2025 , during a discussion on tackling knife crime:

The Lord Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham: My Lords, given the importance of young men needing positive role models in their lives, and of these being people they actually know and can talk to consistently, have His Majesty’s Government considered—as part of their Young Futures programme—how the PSHE curriculum in schools can be tailored more to facilitating these opportunities, taking note particularly of the excellent work of charities such as Kick, which are providing more and more mentors to primary and secondary schools?

Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab, Home Office): Education and contact in schools is probably one of the key issues that need to be challenged to give young people the skills and confidence to play a role with their friends in a way that is not in a gang—where they are not drawn into criminal activity and have the confidence to resist those temptations when they are put in front of them. The right reverend Prelate’s point is vital, and it lies with the Department for Education in England and with the devolved Administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is key to driving up individuals’ confidence to tackle knife crime at source.

Hansard