AN ANDOVER teen has helped to give pupils, students and young people in Hampshire a national voice on relationships and sex education.

The Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner’s Youth Commission has submitted findings of its consultation with over 3,300 young people across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, to the government in a bid to ensure pupils are getting the information they need to thrive in the complex and digital world.

The submission is in response to a call by government for the views of parents, education professionals, and young people on how to improve relationships and sex education and Personal Social, Health and Economic (PHSE) education.

Youth Commission member, Amy Hemming, 19, from Andover said: “Over the last year we been asking young people what issues are most important to them, their thoughts and experiences and their top idea to help.

“Some of the issues raised through this consultation are already being tackled locally – for example through our Cyber Ambassadors in schools or the commissioner’s funding for Hate Crime reporting centres.

“We now want our voices, and the voices of the young people we have spoken to, to be heard at a national level.

“How can we be taught to keep safe, have better physical, emotional and mental health, if the adults around us do not fully understand the world we are growing up in and understand what we feel is important.”

A recent YouGov poll showed that 91 per cent of parents surveyed believed all pupils should receive PHSE lessons to teach them about the risks of sexting, as well as other issues such as contact from strangers online.

A copy of the Youth Commission’s response can be read at hampshire-pcc.gov.uk.