Parents’ fury over school LGBT lesson
MESSAGES have been circulating in a Whatsapp group set up by a group of parents who don’t want their children to be taught LGBT lessons in school.
More than 250 parents have joined the ‘Manchester SRE Education’ group to vent their anger about the new curriculum, which could see children being taught about LGBT rights from the age of four.
It comes after a nationwide row, following a government overhaul of sex and relationships lessons, which says that going forward, children must be taught about LGBT issues.
Headlines about the ‘No Outsider’ programme rolled out at schools in Birmingham sparked anger and concern for some Manchester parents who are anxious about what the government guidance will mean for their kids.
An academy trust in Birmingham has suspended the lessons after scores of parents staged protests claiming they ‘promoted homosexual behaviour.’
Now a Whatsapp group has been formed by parents in Manchester, who say they will continue to ‘apply pressure’ to prevent their children being taught about LGBT rights.
Some of the messages, seen by the M.E.N., are derogatory and homophobic in nature.
One parent wrote: ‘Couple teachers are gay in the school as it is and they frequently talk to kids. What’s the need? Indirect manipulation. This needs to be addressed. Focus should be on lessons, not the teacher’s bloody personal gay lives.’ Schools including Claremont primary in Rusholme and Plymouth Grove in Longsight, William Hulme in Whalley Range and MEA Central in Levenshulme, have been contacted by parents.
One parent posted: ‘I spoke to my child about how school went. He was not happy. He told me that their teacher has been talking about gays and lesbians in year five.’
Government guidance issued in February, states that ‘at the point where schools consider it appropriate,’ they can teach pupils about LGBT equality and rights.
“They should ensure that this content is fully integrated into their programmes of study for this area of the curriculum, rather than delivered as a standalone unit or lesson,” it says. The guidance also states that individual schools are required to make a statement of policy on their provision of relationships education and sex and relationship education, and set out the circumstances in which a pupil can be excused. Coun Luthfur Rahman, executive member for schools, culture and leisure at Manchester council, said: “We’re aware of the existence of WhatsApp groups and the misinformation that is being circulated.
“We would encourage any parent who has concerns about the curriculum to talk to their school first of all and to hear directly from them what’s involved.”
We would encourage any parent that has a problem to speak to their school first Coun Luthfur Rahman