Primaries could teach pupils about same-sex relationships

CHILDREN may be taught about samesex couples as part of compulsory relationships classes to be introduced in primary schools.

Parents would not have the right to remove their children from the classes, which are to be made statutory from September 019 after an announcement yesterday.

The Government wants all primary school pupils to learn about safe and healthy relationships as part of a new mandatory curriculum to prepare them for modern life.

But the plan was criticised by Humphrey Dobson, of the Christian Institute, who said: ‘Forcing teachers to confront five-year-olds with a bewildering array of alternative lifestyles will sow confusion and undermine marriage.’

Any new classes on the topic would have to comply with the Equality Act, which bans discrimination based on sexual orientation. Schools are already required to teach tolerance of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people as part of the Government’s ‘British Values’ initiative.

The education watchdog Ofsted enforces this and is expected to incor-

porate the new relationships education into its inspections.

The classes will be part of new legislation requiring all primary schools to provide ‘relationships education’ and all secondaries to teach ‘sex and relationships education’ (SRE). Parents will

still retain the right to withdraw children from the sex education component, as is the case now.

The move, announced by Education Secretary Justine Greening yesterday, will be the biggest overhaul of SRE in 17 years. It is aimed at helping children tackle 1st-century issues such as online grooming and pornography, sexting and abusive relationships.

The content will be ‘age-appropriate’ and it is understood younger children will simply be taught about stranger danger and inappropriate contact with adults, as well as healthy relationships.

Religious schools, many of which already teach SRE, will be allowed to deliver the classes ‘in accordance with the tenets of their faith’.

But they will still be required to provide enough information for teenagers to make their own informed decisions, and must comply with the Equality Act.

Yesterday, the move was welcomed by education officials in the Church of England and Roman Catholic Church.

Miss Greening said an amendment would be made to the Children and Social Work Bill giving SRE a statutory footing. The curriculum will be developed in consultation with ‘stakeholders’.

‘It will sow confusion and undermine marriage’