At the end of February, the general public began expressing concern about government legislation on Relationships and Sex Education, due to be rolled out informally from September.
In Parliament and on TV interviews, Hinds did concede that there are ‘understandable and legitimate areas of contention’ in the RSE curriculum. On Good Morning Britain on 25 February1 he said: ‘Nobody is suggesting that there should be these difficult conversations [about LGBT relationships] at [age 5].’ Hinds’ concern for age appropriateness of teaching is connected to the age at which topics are covered, but the kind of material used to teach the subject is also worrying. Much of the commercial material used in classrooms is graphic and, in some cases, pornographic.
A summary of responses the general public gave to the consultation2 showed that many people were concerned about the inclusion of LGBT relationships in the primary curriculum. Responding to these, the government noted that: ‘Schools may need to consider how to ensure teaching is develop-mentally appropriate for some pupils. All the core content must be taught sensitively and inclusively, with respect to the backgrounds and beliefs of pupils and parents, while always with the aim of providing pupils with the knowledge they need of society and the law. Schools should work with parents and the wider community so that the curriculum complements and reinforces parents’ role as primary educators and matches the needs of their pupils and communities.’
Wording dangerously vague
Although it is encouraging that religious beliefs (even in a non-faith school) should be taken into account when schools set their curriculum, the wording is vague enough to allow for schools to note parental views and then teach what they want to, ignoring the parents’ opinions.
Halted in the Lords
But the Lords have not ignored parent’s opinions. The Lords Committee put a halt on the Bill’s journey through parliament, on 13 March. They recommended that it be debated on the Floor of the House, raising the possibility of helpful amendments being made.
The analysis of the public consultation comments, and the government reply to it is easy to navigate and could help inform discussions with governing bodies and school leadership when the RSE curriculum and teaching materials are being decided upon in the coming months. Some Christians take an understandably pessimistic view of these developments. Even equipped with quotes from Damian Hinds and this document supporting the rights of parents, teachers or other parents will attack traditional biblical views. Ideally, the government should not be involved in this aspect of moral teaching.
