Parents demand to see ‘secret’ gender lessons given to teen

Row over ‘politicising children’ in class

The parents of a teenager who is leaving a school that teaches about white privilege and gender are seeking the right to see details of ‘secret’ lessons.

They have complained several times about lessons on race, sex and gender amid fears that children are being ‘indoctrinated’ and white pupils made to feel they are ‘ privileged’ because of their skin colour.

The parents have not been allowed to view materials used in some lessons at state secondary haberdashers’ hatcham College, in south-east London, which was rated ‘good’ by Ofsted. Most pupils are black or from an ethnic minority, with 17 per cent white.

The girl’s mother, Clare Page, has written to the Information Commissioner’s Office for a ruling that parents have the right to have a copy of lesson plans.

Parents can ask to have one but the school is not legally obliged to provide it. Mrs Page said: ‘I told the school I had serious concerns about some lessons, which I felt might be politicising children.

‘Many of the resources used were from America, where the teaching of identity issues around race and gender has led to bitter conflict between parents and teachers.’

‘Parents have a right to know what is being taught to their children, and to expect that opinions and theories will not be presented to them as if they are fact,’ she told the Sunday Times.

After the 2020 George Floyd murder, an image – called Die – that depicted white and black people stabbing each other, was shown to 13-year-olds in art classes to inspire them to make their own posters. Another grievance reportedly centred on an assembly on ‘white privilege’ and ‘discriminatory systems of power’. Pupils were told people perpetuated their privilege just by being white.

The parents also complained about sex education lessons taught by an external organisation that the school has now stopped using.

The school said: ‘ hatcham College is confident in the PShe [ personal, social, health and economic] education that it provides its students.

‘All our teaching adheres to the secretary of state’s statutory guidance and recommended best practice. The PShe curriculum was discussed at a parent forum where all parents were supportive of the schools’ approach apart from one.’