C4M’S ANALYSIS OF MANIFESTOS: LGBT EDUCATION

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This is our latest blog post highlighting manifesto promises around marriage.

Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party have committed to mandatory LGBT-inclusive lessons.

The Conservative Government introduced Relationships Education, which all schools will be required to teach from September 2020. There is no right of withdrawal from Relationships Education at any stage (in secondary schools it is part of Relationships and Sex Education). Good things can be taught under the framework, but as we have always warned, it gives an open door to campaign groups hostile to marriage.

Secondary schools must teach about LGBT issues. Although primary schools are “strongly encouraged” to cover them, there is currently no legal requirement to do so at that stage of education.

Such lessons will inevitably present traditional marriage as just one option among many, when it should be seen as the ‘gold standard’ for relationships. We have already seen an example of a new curriculum for primary schools in Warwickshire that fails to mention marriage, commitment or faithfulness – but is happy to promote transgenderism and homosexuality.

Pupils, parents and teachers who believe marriage is between a man and a woman will be marginalised. Activists are already trying to bounce pupils into accepting views contrary to traditional marriage. For example, ‘rainbow days’ involve children being told to come into school wearing the colours of the Pride flag, in exchange for a donation to a pro same-sex marriage charity. During the day, children are exposed to political slogans like ‘equal marriage’. Mandatory LGBT-inclusive lessons would play into the hands of such activists.
Parents should remain in control in these sensitive areas and have the right to withdraw their children from teaching that might conflict with their beliefs about marriage.