Julie Edge, the Minister for Sport, Education and Culture, has said that changes to the delivery of sex education on the island ‘do not happen overnight’.

Speaking at Tuesday’s October sitting at Tynwald, Ms Edge was asked for an update on the proposed changes to the sex education curriculum by Garff MHK Daphne Cain.

The question was asked following the recent publishing of an independent report into the curriculum taught at Queen Elizabeth II High School.

The report followed allegations that teachers at the school received ‘death threats’ over reports that children had been left ‘traumatised’ by inappropriate and graphic sex education taught by a drag queen.

Ms Edge said: ‘I’m not in a position currently to say how the curriculum will be changed.

‘We want this curriculum to be delivered in the safest and most well-educated manner. This correction does not happen overnight.

‘We want a well-researched and evidence-based curriculum. There’s no delay to this process, the school year has only just started and the first term is incredibly busy.

‘We want professionals to take a look at this and come to the right conclusions about what this change should be and how it will be implemented.

‘Sex education is not a specialised area and staff would always deliver these lessons during gaps in their schedule – some were not comfortable delivering these lessons.

‘The recently published report suggested the changes which should be made, and these suggestions are being considered.

‘We are aiming to bring these changes into effect at the beginning of 2024, but this is not definite.’