The government opened a consultation1 in July (closing on 7 November) on Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education, seeking views on the draft regulations and statutory guidance to schools.
This is already part of the curriculum in most schools as PHSE, but is due to become compulsory. Many parents, including Christians, are abdicating their responsibility to teach sex and relationships to their own children. Aware of this, the government has taken the chance to construct a curriculum which includes some helpful elements, but also some unhelpful teaching about sex and family life.
Marriage sidelined
Although marriage is mentioned, the overall sense is that it has been sidelined. Paragraph 55: ‘families of many forms provide a nurturing environment for children’. Further: ‘that stable, caring relationships, which may be of different types, are at the heart of happy families, and are important for children’s security as they grow up’. Later; ‘[learn how] these relationships might contribute to human happiness and their importance for bringing up children’.
These ‘other relationships’ are not safe. Data shows that the safest place for a child is in a home with both biological parents. It is disingenuous to imply that all families are equal.2 Data from the USA is clear that ‘those living with a single parent who had a cohabiting partner…had the highest rate in all maltreatment categories. Compared to children living with married biological parents, those whose single parent had a live-in partner had more than eight times the rate of maltreatment, over ten times the rate of abuse, and nearly eight times the rate of neglect.’3
The tone of some of the curriculum shows ‘mission creep’ where it positions school as the safe place where children can report abuse at home. Whilst not wanting to dismiss this completely – for some children it is a safer and happier place than their home – the underlying suspicion about home being fed to the children through this teaching is concerning.
Other areas of concern are where the document tells schools to explore the features of ‘stable and healthy same-sex relationships... this should be integrated…rather than addressed…in only one lesson’. Religion in RSE is outlawed: ‘Schools may choose to explore faith…in other subjects such as RE.’4 Abortion is to be taught as a ‘choice’ available under the law.
Older children are to be taught ‘they have a choice to delay sex’. But this moment of good sense is snatched away with ‘or to enjoy intimacy without sex’.
One does not need to give personal information including one’s name on the consultation which can also be filled in by school aged children.
