Council backs faith school freedom in sex ed
from The Christian Institute:
The Government has been urged to allow faith schools to teach sex education in accordance with their religious ethos by councillors in a London borough.
Barnet Council unanimously backed a motion calling for tolerance to be shown to people of faith.
The Government has just concluded a “call for evidence” on the new primary school Relationships Education subject, and on secondary school Relationships and Sex Education. A full consultation will follow.
‘Tolerance and understanding’
Cllr Brian Gordon, who put forward the motion, said: “In the same way children should be taught not to harbour prejudice and hatred and violent desires towards others, tolerance and understanding has to be shown towards people’s religions and their values.
“It is wrong, and I would say counter-productive, for faith schools to be penalised or marked down for failure to teach particular aspects of sex and sexuality that are counter to their religious ethos.”
Councillors from across all parties backed the motion.
see also
Religious groups mount campaign against teaching about same-sex marriage, by Adi Bloom, tes
Lack of good religious education ‘leaves pupils at risk’, by Katherine Sellgren, BBC