Government plans to ban extreme sex education and gender identity lessons from primary schools have been welcomed by Christians who’ve spent years fighting for change.
The government announced this week that latest guidance will introduce age limits “to make sure children aren’t being taught about sensitive and sophisticated subjects before they’re ready to completely understand them”. It said that the concept of gender identity was “highly contested and mustn’t be taught”. Parents even have a “legal right” to know what their children are being taught in relationships and sex education lessons, and might request to see teaching materials.
“This is according to the cautious approach taken in our guidance on gender questioning children,” the federal government said.
“Along with other aspects, teaching this theory within the classroom could prompt some children to begin to query their gender after they may not have done so otherwise, and is a posh theory for youngsters to know.”Â
Christian Concern has welcomed the event and said it “vindicates” quite a lot of its clients who’ve spent years campaigning for change or fighting for his or her jobs within the courts after speaking out.
One client, Kristie Higgs, continues to be fighting for justice five years after losing her job over posts on her Facebook page wherein she expressed concern about transgender ideology in schools and the content of relationships and sex education lessons. AÂ Court of Appeal hearing is scheduled for October.Â
In one other case, Rev Dr Bernard Randall was sacked and reported to the federal government’s terrorist watchdog, Prevent, after saying in a sermon in a Church of England school chapel that pupils didn’t need to agree with LGBT ideology. He was also branded a ‘safeguarding risk’ by the local Church of England diocese for the concerns he raised.
In 2017, Christian parents Nigel and Sally Rowe were allegedly branded transphobic after difficult the trans-affirming policy of their sons’ Church of England primary school. They challenged the Department for Education’s refusal to intervene and were granted a judicial review but the federal government settled and awarded them £22,000 in legal costs.Â
Christian Concern CEO Andrea Williams said the change to RSHE guidance “vindicates courageous Christian parents who were faithful to their beliefs and ahead of the curve” but said the “silence” from the Church of England in the previous few years had been “devastating”.Â
“We are glad and relieved that primary school children will now be protected against such lessons. But this must only be a starting,” she said.
“So much harm has been done and a lot confusion sown. Schools must return to their Christian roots and the Biblical beliefs on identity and sexual ethics which set children and stable families up for all times.
“It won’t be popular or fashionable, but only God’s good plan for human identity, marriage and relationships will ever be enough for youngsters to grow up and lead fulfilling, stable and blissful lives.
“The past seven years have clearly demonstrated that after we turn from God’s plan, it results in infinite chaos.”