Why Breastfeeding Education Belongs in British Classrooms

I am a teacher. I’ve been teaching biology since 2008 to children aged 11-18. When I had my son in 2010, I started to question why lactation hadn’t been something I’d taught.

I’d mentioned breastfeeding in the context of passive immunity and I also taught it in A-level human biology alongside the hormonal control of labour (human biology is no longer a qualification, it was axed following the 2013 revisions by Michael Gove when it was deemed to ‘overlap’ with biology). 

Breastfeeding In Education Is Non-existent

I had to question why breastfeeding wasn’t on the syllabus. We teach the menstrual cycle, puberty, pregnancy…but nothing to do with what happens after birth (which many would argue is the hardest bit)?

The question ‘what should children learn at school’ is huge. Some things are chosen as they develop thinking skills, others because they are important knowledge for functioning in society, or some things are simply traditional. It’s a difficult issue to unpick.

Teaching Breastfeeding Would Be Of Great Value

Nonetheless, I would argue that teaching breastfeeding has a great deal of value. This country has some of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world. This means that many of us aren’t surrounded by family and friends to support us – and don’t forget breastfeeding is a learned behavior.

There are stories of captive primates learning to breastfeed from humans feeding outside their enclosure. When we find that many in our community don’t breastfeed, or there is a lot of misinformation or misconceptions, where do we turn? Trying to support breastfeeding after the fact only goes so far, and many of us volunteering and working in that sphere know only too well the level of grief and trauma that exists, and that could be avoided with more knowledge and support in the general population and in the health service.

Teaching Lactation in Secondary Schools

When I did my Master’s degree in Education, I focussed my dissertation on the idea of teaching lactation in secondary schools. Our department delivered lessons planned by me to the children and I studied the outcomes. It was very interesting, and I really hoped to see more academic studies and change start to occur on a wider stage, as I’d found some increases in attitudes and had interesting discussions with the teachers involved.

I wrote a letter to the editor of the Journal of Human Lactation, which was published in 2014. I knew from my study and the literature I’d read that there was a benefit to teaching breastfeeding in schools, and I hoped to see more research and change on a wider stage.

I knew from my study and the literature I’d read that there was a benefit to teaching breastfeeding in schools, and I hoped to see more research and change on a wider stage.

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education

In 2018, The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health recommended education be taught in Personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE), but there is still no sign on the curriculum. The BfN in 2018-2019 carried out work funded by QNIS which showed increased knowledge and understanding around breastfeeding following lessons – you can download their lesson plans for a donation. The ABM also have brilliant resources available for primary schools to use. There is work being done, but something bigger needs to happen, without it relying on passionate individual teachers.

I can understand some teachers may feel ill-equipped to deliver lessons on breastfeeding, and may struggle if their own experiences of breastfeeding have been tricky, however I can tell you that as a teacher I’ve taught plenty of things that I’ve needed to research prior to the lesson, or have additional training to support me. It’s kind of part of the job.

I also understand that some families may feel uncomfortable about their children learning about breastfeeding, but that’s why personally I feel biology is the best subject to sit this topic in, alongside puberty and hormones. Teaching the structure of the breast, the process of lactation and the constituents of breast milk absolutely has value and doesn’t involve discussing anything that could be uncomfortable for some.

Teaching the structure of the breast, the process of lactation and the constituents of breast milk absolutely has value and doesn’t involve discussing anything that could be uncomfortable for some.

I would hope that with a changing government, which is often a time of reform in schools (and goodness knows the profession needs some investment and support), the curriculum may be looked over. Could we have a rethink of what might be important to include? Can we not see that including breastfeeding for all ages (as more than a cursory mention) would have wide-reaching benefits as these young people become parents…and friends of parents?

Perhaps we might find less issues around breastfeeding in public. Perhaps there may be better informed parents who feel able to breastfeed longer, and more supported by their peers? While on an individual basis this is important, we also know that breastfeeding has an impact on the economy by reducing healthcare costs.

Positive Next Steps To Take

So what can you do? Well, right now we can’t set up a petition since they’ve been paused due to the recent election, but you could write to your MP. I’d also love for the new education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, to receive a barrage of tweets (what do we call them now? Xs?) showing how many people this issue matters to – in fact, send her this article! Or, why not share the ABM or BFN resources with your local school, and if you’re involved in local breastfeeding support, offer to help facilitate that by popping in as an external speaker?

Schools are a place where change can really happen. Let’s try to ensure that the parents of tomorrow are better informed today.