Good News On Schools (3) Parents Can Speak Up For Marriage

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Anyone who is enthusiastic about marriage wants young people to hear about it.

For over 20 years it has been a legal requirement for pupils to learn about the nature of marriage and its importance for raising children. Legal changes now mean that civil partnerships and same-sex marriage are also covered. But the fact remains there is an opportunity for young people to hear about true marriage.

This great opportunity has been made greater because new guidance is reminding schools that by law “they must engage with parents” about their relationships and sex education curriculum. That means proper consultation, and schools respecting parental rights.

At C4M we warmly encourage parents to make full use of the opportunities offered. Here are some ideas:

Remind schools of the requirement in primary legislation to teach about the importance of marriage for bringing up children. There is a huge body of evidence showing that marriage between a man and a woman is good for adults and children.

• Tell your child’s school that you and many other people in Britain today believe that marriage is “the voluntary union for life of one man and one woman, to the exclusion of all others”.
• This belief is widely shared across the world and throughout history, and is a belief worthy of respect in modern society.
• The highest courts in the land have defended the free speech and employment rights of people who believe that marriage is only between one man and one woman.
• The original and global view of marriage is based on the complementary natures of men and women. It is a union of the sexes.
• The legal duty of balance means that schools must include the longstanding view that marriage is between one man and one woman when teaching on these subjects.
• Without understanding it, pupils will be able to make little sense of British history and culture. Neither will they appreciate other world cultures or world faiths which hold to marriage as originally defined.
• If you feel schools are not good at listening to parents, you can remind them of their legal duty to consult parents on RSE and to respect parental rights.

If your child’s school hasn’t yet consulted parents on relationships and sex education, you could ask them when they are planning to do so. Even if they have already consulted, you can still tell them what you think, and if necessary, hold them to the requirements of the law and guidance.

More background information is given in a C4M fact sheet here.

DOWNLOAD FACTSHEET

The ball is in our court. The Government has chosen to underline the right of parents to tell schools what they think about relationships education. So let’s advocate for marriage!