The Church of England appears to have lost all confidence in its own biblical teaching

Nov 30, 2019 by Jill

by Will Jones, Christian Today:

What are we to make of the Church of England’s new Charter for ‘faith-sensitive’ and ‘inclusive’ Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE)?

It has been released in the midst of heated controversies over the teaching of gay relationships, transgenderism and masturbation to primary age children, with schools – and courts – refusing to bend to parent concerns.

The Charter does not address these controversies directly. However, it does make clear that ‘what is taught and how it is taught is ultimately a decision for the school.’ This is true. But it is also true that the statutory guidance says that schools should ensure their RSE policy ‘meets the needs of pupils and parents and reflects the community they serve,’ and that ‘the religious background of all pupils must be taken into account when planning teaching, so that the topics that are included in the core content in this guidance are appropriately handled.’

Why not also mention these crucial points, particularly in a ‘faith-sensitive’ Charter? The fact that schools have the ultimate decision does not give them a free pass to ignore parental objections and concerns. RSHE should never become an exercise in indoctrination into fashionable orthodoxies against the wishes of parents. The Charter’s failure to make this clear, while stressing that the lessons are ‘ultimately a decision for the school’, is disappointing to say the least.

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