Many north and north-east councils have said they will not use a controversial sex survey in schools.
Some local authorities are still assessing some of the questions in the poll, which asks schoolchildren explicit questions.
Others are ruling out its use altogether and only Moray Council confirmed they will be distributing it.
Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City councils have their own ideas about how to gather the information.
And others have not made a decision on the controversial sex survey yet.
The Scottish Government census features questions like “How much, if any, sexual experience have you had?”
The subsequent multiple choice answers including ‘oral sex’ and ‘vaginal or anal sex’.
Councils can choose which questions to ask and children and parents can opt out completely.
What was the original reaction?
There has already been some criticism about the survey with Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, believing parents are being “kept in the dark” as a result of the poll.
The survey is for pupils in fourth, fifth and sixth years and councils will administer it.
However, the Scottish Government have previously said some councils will not take part in the survey. This is because they have either done their own, face staffing pressures or are using existing local statistics.
Aberdeenshire Council to ‘query some aspects’
Aberdeenshire Council’s director of education Laurence Findlay said they are working alongside the government to “query some aspects” of the poll.
He said it is an important tool to understand how young people feel at the moment.
Mr Findlay said: “The census is an important way of engaging with young people to better understand how their health and wellbeing can be best supported.
“We recognise survey questions vary according to age and we are engaging with Scottish Government colleagues to query some aspects of this before rolling it out.”
North Kincardine councillor Ian Mollison asked how others would feel if they were faced with the same kind of questions.
He said: “I can see why some people feel quite strongly and feel this should not be going ahead.
“Whereas others are fully supportive of it.
“But if you were asked these questions, what would your reaction be? I think that is the nub of it.
“I can see people are very concerned about it. Whereas others think it is quite reasonable to ask such pointed questions.”
Aberdeen City Council to use own health poll
Aberdeen City Council have ruled out using the Scottish Government survey and will instead rely on their poll.
A spokesman for the local authority said their census will “capture the wellbeing needs” of youngsters in the Granite City.
He said their move was following similar steps to other councils and that their survey would mean they could ” respond to the outcomes appropriately.”
The spokesman said: “In line with a number of other local authorities Aberdeen City Council will not be participating in the national health and wellbeing survey, however will ensure a local survey will capture the wellbeing needs of the children and young people of Aberdeen so that we can respond to the outcomes appropriately.”
Moray Council to use census ‘in full’
Moray Council said they plan to give out the controversial sex survey next term and that parents can withdraw their children from it.
The local authority said they plan to use all of the survey’s questions but said children’s identity will be protected with the results being used to improve services.
A spokeswoman for Moray Council said: “Families in Moray will receive information from us directly next term about this national survey, which we will be distributing in full as questions have been agreed and issued previously.
“Parents and carers will be reassured that their child’s identity will be protected and only where there are concerns around child protection will any action be taken; all other information gathering is for statistical and research purposes only, to improve services and target support for children and young people in Moray.
“Parents and carers have the option to withdraw permission for their child to take part in the survey, and if they consent the final decision is with the individual child on whether they wish to participate, or only answer specific questions.”
North schools not yet using survey
Highland Council said that the pandemic meant the controversial sex survey has not been handed out in schools.
But the local authority did say that they plan to use their own survey to assess young people.
A Highland Council spokesman said they had not circulated the survey. He said it was “because of Covid-19 pressures currently experienced in schools”.
“Similar to some other Scottish Local Authorities, schools in Highland will continue with their own wellbeing assessments.”
They said they will include check-ins with young people and a lifestyle survey devised by our education psychology team.
“Support is available to children and young people both within and out-with school as appropriate.”
Meanwhile, Western Isles Council are yet to send out their survey too. Education bosses will discuss the questions.
School chiefs in Shetland also said they are currently looking at the kind of questions they want to include.
A spokesman for Western Isles Council said the survey has not been distributed to any schools.
“The questions were shared with the Management Team and are being discussed at a forthcoming Management Team meeting.”
James Johnston is the Quality Improvement Officer for Shetland Islands Council. He said the council still plans to deliver the census during this school session. He added: “We feel it’s important to understand children and young people’s views on their health and wellbeing.
“We are yet to complete our final quality assurance and delivery plan which will include consideration of the sets of questions available to us.
“We will continue to work with colleagues within the Scottish Government to discuss the local implementation of the census.”
Scottish Government response
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “It would be irresponsible to withdraw a census which focusses on children and young people’s health and wellbeing, particularly during the course of a pandemic.
“Health and wellbeing surveys like this one are not new and play a crucial role in ensuring children and young people have access to the help, advice and services they need.
“We are in regular dialogue with the local authorities, and monitoring progress. The latest information we have is twenty-four local authorities are taking part.
“Currently eight local authorities are not taking part in the census, with only one authority (West Lothian) citing the sensitive nature of the questions.
“Other local authorities are not taking part for a range of reasons, including having undertaken their own health and wellbeing surveys of pupils earlier this year, capacity issues with ongoing Covid case management and they are opting to use existing local data from their information management systems.”
What do you think? Should pupils be asked these questions? Take our poll.
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