It’s time to trust Parents

The Government is currently consulting on significant changes to the teaching and content of the new Relationships Education that will be mandatory in all primary schools and Relationships and Sex Education in all secondary schools in England. There are a number of significant and controversial proposals in the draft Guidance that directly affect parents and families in England. To help you respond to the consultation ParentPower has brought together response guides from different organisations.

We strongly encourage you to review, reflect and respond to this consultation.

RSE Consultation Response Guides

Christian Institute

“The Government’s approach to Relationships and Sex Education will effectively abolish parents’ right to withdraw their child from sex education. It transfers the final decision over whether a child receives sex education to the headteacher. A consultation ends on Wednesday 7 November. The parental right of withdrawal is a key issue. The proposals do not include any right of withdrawal from relationships education in primary schools. At secondary level, the existing right of withdrawal is being neutered. It would be reduced to a right to request withdrawal, with the ultimate decision resting with head teachers. A fundamental principle is at stake. Biblically and legally, parents are primarily responsible for their child’s education.”

Society for the Protection of Unborn Children

“The Department of Education is seeking views on the Draft Regulations, Statutory Guidance, and Regulatory Impact Assessment relating to the new compulsory subjects of Relationships Education, Relationships & Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education for schools in England. The consultation closes on 7 November 2018. This consultation seeks the views of ‘all those with an interest’ on the proposed content and delivery of Relationships Education (primary), Relationships & Sex Education (secondary) and Health Education. These subjects will have the potential to greatly affect the moral formation, health and well-being of ALL children at ALL schools. Every school (including faith and independent schools) is required to deliver the new subjects and to ‘have regard’ to the Secretary of State’s Statutory Guidance.”

Evangelical Alliance

“High-quality RE & RSE requires parental partnership so we have launched the #TrustParents campaign that encourages people to remind government that:

• Conversations about intimate issues deserve the opportunity of an intimate setting, but the government is trying to change this. Parents should still be able to keep the legal right to decide where and when their child receives sex education. Yet, the government is proposing removing the full right of withdrawal from sex education for secondary schools students.
• Parents should be able to see the full RE or RSE curriculum ahead of time so they can work with schools on this important topic rather than finding out what their child has been taught after the fact.
• Parents should also be notified ahead of time if any external organisations will be delivering RE or RSE. Parents should know what external organisations are going to be teaching their children before it happens.”

Voice for Justice UK

“Children belong to the State: *Agree    *Disagree   *Strongly disagree

This, in effect, is what you are being asked to affirm under the Government Consultation into the new Guidance on Relationships and Sex Education.  The new Regulations will, subject to debate, receive Parliamentary approval next year.  They will then be enforced in 2020, with content and delivery governed by the Statutory Guidance.   It is therefore imperative that as many as possible respond to the Consultation by the closing date of November 7^th.

Some areas of concern:

• Loss of the parental right of withdrawal:The Secretary of State for Education, Damian Hinds, has already announced that the parental right to withdrawal of children from Sex Education lessons, enshrined in the Education Act 1996, will be downgraded to a right of request.  The final decision will devolve to the Head Teacher, who must also defer to any decision made by the child in the three terms preceding his or her 16th birthday.   In other words, parents’ rights to withdraw will be taken away.
• All teaching will be LGBT inclusive, irrespective of family faith.
• Promotion of promiscuity, with explicit encouragement to explore sexual orientation and relationships.
• Gender presented as ‘choice’, not biology.
• Traditional marriage downgraded.“

Please click on the button below to view the very helpful report by the Lords and Commons Family and Child Protection Group:
Relationships and Sex Education: The Way Forward.

This recently published report analyses not just why sex and relationships education policy up to now has been wrong, but how it has largely contributed to, if not caused, the problems it’s designed to combat. It is argued that current Government proposals to extend and make mandatory Relationship and Sex Education (RSE) for all children, are not just flawed, but highly dangerous.