The Northern Ireland minister says he will consider introducing mandatory relationship and sex education (RSE) in schools if the Department of Education does not do so.
BBC News NI has learned that Shailesh Vara has written to the department to let them know of his intention.
Mr Vara said he has a legal obligation to act on the recommendations of a United Nations (UN) Committee report on RSE.
RSE in Northern Ireland should be mandatory and comprehensive.
It said it should cover issues such as access to abortion and preventing early pregnancy.
In response, the ministry said Education Secretary Michelle McIlveen had written to the Northern Ireland Secretary inviting him to meet her to discuss the issue.
In a statement to BBC News NI, a spokesman for the Department of Education also said that RSE in schools in Northern Ireland “already provides opportunities for young people to learn about the effects of sexual maturation and the emotional, social and moral implications of early sexual activity”. .
Every school in Northern Ireland is currently being asked by the Department to develop their own policy.
However, what students are actually taught about RSE is for each school to decide based on their school ethos.
This approach has previously been criticized by some experts, who said it leads to “disparate and conflicting learning experiences” for students.
Retired judge Sir John Gillen has also recommended that schoolchildren be taught age-appropriate relationship and sex education from primary school onwards.
Children’s Commissioner Koulla Yiasouma also recently called for a mandatory RSE curriculum similar to other school subjects.
Mr Vara has written to the Department for Education saying he has a legal obligation to take action against RSE under legislation introduced in Westminster in 2019.
This has already led to new abortion laws being introduced in Northern Ireland.
Mr Vara told the department that he also had to implement other recommendations on RSE contained in a 2018 UN report by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
It found that the UK had violated the rights of women in Northern Ireland by restricting their access to abortion services.
But the CEDAW report also said young people were “denied the education necessary to enjoy their sexual and reproductive health and rights.”
RSE is “underdeveloped or absent due to the school’s discretion to implement curriculum content according to its values and ethos,” it said.
In a statement to BBC News NI, the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) said Mr Vara has a legal obligation to implement the CEDAW report’s recommendations.
“With respect to relationship and sex education, the Secretary of State has a duty to ensure that youth have access to age-appropriate, comprehensive and scientifically accurate sexual and reproductive health and rights education, including prevention of early pregnancy and access to abortion,” the NIO said .
“The Ministry of Education is responsible for the implementation of this recommendation.
“It is very important to us that the Department of Education ensures that CEDAW compliant relationship and sex education becomes a mandatory part of the curriculum.
“If the Department of Education is unwilling to implement the CEDAW recommendation, the Secretary of State will consider using his powers to intervene.”
Ms McIlveen has previously defended how relationship and sex education is taught in schools.
Department of Education officials have said that increasing the RSE requirement could put schools in Northern Ireland at odds with parents and governors.
In a statement in response to Mr Vara’s letter, a spokesman for the department said it recognized the importance of RSE in the curriculum.
“In Northern Ireland, RSE is already providing opportunities for young people to learn about the implications of sexual maturation and the emotional, social and moral implications of early sexual activity,” they said.
“The statutory curriculum is supported by a range of non-statutory resources available on the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment’s RSE hub.
“The Secretary of State’s correspondence on this subject will be examined.”
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