
We warmly welcome the DfE’s proposed new Guidance on Relationships and Sex Education. We hope it will become statutory in its present form.
We affirm the broad direction of the Guidance in its emphasis on scientific realities and age-appropriate limits. We accept that not everyone will agree with every detail in the Guidance. In a polarised debate, there needs to be room for collaboration and good disagreement.
We strongly commend the Guidance’s focus on teaching the biological reality of two sexes, and teaching the facts of same-sex attraction, as well as puberty, sexual harassment, and sexual activity, at age-appropriate levels.
We applaud the direction to treat gender identity as a contested issue which should not be taught as fact.
We note that the Guidance allows for schools to respond appropriately to pupils’ questions. We are aware that much gender ideology material enters schools in the form of children’s reading materials, so we recommend further direction to schools to be vigilant about such materials and the insidious effect they may have. The same applies with visiting speakers and organisations presenting assemblies or relationships training.
We strongly disagree with those organisations complaining that the Guidance is ‘Section 28 for Trans Kids’. This is not an accurate comparison. The assumption that children can know they are Trans is in itself highly contestable. The draft Guidance makes space for schools to respond compassionately. It proposes accurate, age-appropriate teaching. In all these ways, it is completely different from the total ban enforced by Section 28.
Rachel Evans, an LGB Christians supporter, who has been a state secondary school teacher for over 25 years, said:
‘I see first-hand at school the damage that transgender ideology is causing, especially to young women and girls. I therefore welcome this guidance, which is a huge step in the right direction towards empowering and equipping schools to support all young people, and especially those who are gender non-conforming and/or same-sex attracted, as I am.
I was at school when Section 28 was introduced, and it was still in place for the first seven years of my career. There is nothing in this new guidance which is remotely like Section 28. Indeed, if well-implemented, it should help to protect young people from the homophobia and sexism that underlies so much of transgender ideology.’
Read Rachel’s recent blog A Scandal for Schools on the LGB Christians website or download a pdf version.
LGB Christians seeks to inform and assist churches and church or state schools, through their local, diocesan and national structures, to develop new Guidance in keeping with the DfE’s Guidance, in the light of their faith ethos and safeguarding requirements.
Mark Chater, of the LGB Christians Education team, said:
‘The new Guidance is extremely welcome and timely. We all have much to learn from the Cass Review, and this needs to be translated into better RSE in all schools, including church schools.’
/ENDS
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We aim to inform churches and other Christian organisations on specifically LGB issues, to campaign and educate, to assist those suffering from discrimination, and to provide a safe space for reflection.
In our work, we value respectful communication, individual freedom of belief and expression, the scientific reality of biological sex, good theology and responsible interpretation, and attentive listening which nurtures dialogue.
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