5,000 challenge Welsh sex ed proposals

More than 5,000 parents and grandparents in Wales are suing the Welsh government after it announced that new compulsory sex education from the age of three will start in September. They also say the government misled them about a potential parental opt-out.

The Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Act 2021 prescribes mandatory elements in education which includes relationship and sex education (RSE). The parent-led group is concerned that under the Act, children as young as three will be taught about sensitive and arguably inappropriate topics, such as gender ideology.

Public Child Protection Wales (PCPW), which represents the claimants, has asked the High Court to remove compulsory RSE, saying parents are being disenfranchised by being denied their time-honoured right to remove their child from sex education. One of the parents, Kim Isherwood – who heads up the group – said most parents are oblivious to the change.