Displaying items by tag: Education

Birmingham Mail recently reported clashes between parents and Parkfield Community School over a pilot curriculum challenging homophobia in primary schools. The deputy head of Parkfield, Andrew Moffat, who is openly gay, created the programme. The parents’ objection was not his sexuality, but the curriculum, called ‘No Outsiders’. They feel it goes against their religious beliefs regarding homosexual relationships. The school is mainly attended by Muslim children. Moffat has a lot of support in local government, and was given an MBE for services to education equality and diversity. Tristan Chatfield, the cabinet member for social inclusion, has suggested the parents are simply misinformed about what the school is trying to do. On 7 February dozens of parents gathered outside the school gates to object to transsexualism being taught to primary-age children. See

Rev David Robertson, former Moderator of the Free Church of Scotland, said new guidance on transgenderism sent to Scottish schools is 'harmful and totalitarian'. The document, 'Supporting Transgender Young People', was partly funded by the Scottish government and created in partnership with LGBT Youth Scotland and the Scottish Trans Alliance. It says that teachers should not inform parents of a child's desire to change gender unless the child agrees, and allow children to use whichever toilet and changing room facilities they prefer, adding, ‘If parents voice concerns about their child sharing toilets and/or changing rooms with a trans learner, they should be reminded of the school's ethos of inclusion, equality and respect'. The guidance also recommends gender-neutral dress code options and allowing students to compete in sports according to their gender identity.

Alice Roberts, a professor at Birmingham University who presents BBC documentaries, has been criticised by her own mother for fronting an ‘antagonistic’ campaign by Humanists UK to end state funding of faith schools. Her mother Wendy, who taught for many years in faith schools, took the highly unusual step of writing to the Sunday Times to say that such schools ‘have been and still are a most benign benefit’, and she was embarrassed and upset by her daughter’s decision. Meanwhile, in a list of 500 top primary schools issued by the Sunday Times, nearly half are faith-based (mostly Catholic or CofE), vying with top fee-paying private schools. The news comes as ministers press ahead with plans to create many new Catholic-only schools in 2019, despite protests from critics. See https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/best-uk-schools-guide-church-schools-challenge-top-fee-paying-preps-9vdj725tn

A Christian parent is challenging a London school which took all its children to a gay pride event in June 2018. Heavers Farm Primary School allegedly said the visit did not come under sexual education, and so opt-outs were not granted. Headteacher Susan Papas said at the time: ‘We believe that it is important to teach children about diversity and acceptance, and we stand by our decision.’ Fourteen parents complained, and on 20 November Izoduwa Adhedo and her husband, with a Christian Legal Centre representative, met the school governors. Mrs Adhedo said, ‘After I complained about my young child being forced to take part in an event that goes against our Christian beliefs, the school's attitude towards me changed completely.’ She feels that senior staff misled her with incorrect statements of law and failed to follow proper procedures. Her son no longer attends the school, because they were 'bullied out of it'.

Children from richer families used to benefit much more from public spending on education than those from poorer backgrounds. However, a report from the Institute of Fiscal Studies, based on research in state-funded schools between 2003 and 2010, notes a substantial shift in this pattern. Due to new policies such as ‘pupil premium’, which aims to help disadvantaged pupils of all abilities in publicly-funded schools to perform better, education spending is now more likely to be skewed towards poorer pupils. Also, the socio-economic gaps in higher education have narrowed. The report concludes, ‘The realistic evidence suggests that focusing more education spending on poorer pupils should lead to substantial improvements in their life chances’.

Responding to the final report by the Commission on Religious Education, the CofE’s education officer said, ‘This report calls for a new vision for religious education, which is vital if we are to equip children for life in the modern world where religion and belief play such important roles. It is also timely, given the falling numbers of students taking RE at GCSE and A level since the introduction of the English Baccalaureat.’ The CofE’s education vision is deeply Christian, with Jesus' promise of 'life in all its fullness' at its heart. It was good to see the commission endorsing an approach already being used in church schools. However, further work is needed to ensure children develop religious and theological literacy as part of their understanding. The Secular Society’s response was that they were in broad agreement with the suggestions, but wanted the last say to be from educationalists, not the pre-existing religious education community. See

Guidance for teaching about relationships and sex in schools is being drafted, and will soon be put before Parliament. It is an important time in the development of sex and relationships resources. Sex education is intended to influence attitudes and behaviours and improve sexual health. Whether or not improvements occur depends on the curriculum. It is currently driven by STIs concerns, the adequacy of consent, and teenage pregnancy (the UK has the highest rate in Western Europe). Advice given by leading campaigners is devoid of references to morality, marriage, or family life. It talks about sex as a normal and pleasurable fact of life for youngsters, stressing contraception as most important. It has nothing to say about the moral context in which sex is to be enjoyed; no reference to fidelity and exclusivity. For the full report from the Christian Medical Fellowship, click the ‘More’ button.

A YouGov poll for the Sutton Trust indicates widespread cheating among middle-class families to win a place at the school of their choice. One in three parents know families who have used ‘ethically dubious’ tactics, though they are less likely to admit to fraudulent tactics themselves. 16% from all social groups personally knew families who used a relative’s address to secure a place. 20% from the highest social group knew someone who had either bought or rented a second home in the catchment area of a good school. The most commonly used tactic to get into more desirable schools is to develop a newfound faith and attend religious services to meet school admissions criteria where pupils are selected on the basis of church attendance.

The Supreme Court ruled on 30 July that hospitals can now end life-sustaining care for patients without the need to seek court approval, if families and doctors are in agreement. The ruling was said to ‘clarify the law’, and avoids the need in many cases for families to come to court. Judicial approval will now not be required to withdraw life-prolonging treatments from patients with a prolonged disorder of consciousness such as being in a minimally-conscious or persistent vegetative state - if families and medical staff agree. Previously, some NHS Trusts were unsure as to whether they might find themselves liable to legal action if they went ahead with withdrawal of treatment before seeking permission. The court, led by Lady Black, ruled that to take such action was not a breach of a patient’s human rights. Many Christians believe this decision does not reflect the ‘views of the pews’. The Christian Medical Fellowship said it is never humane to end someone else's life. See

On 21 June the Archbishop of York Youth Trust hosted a regional conference, for primary head teachers in church schools across the Diocese of Manchester. It provided an opportunity for them to learn more about the Young Leaders Award delivered at Key Stage 2 and to share in the experiences of those completing the award. To date the Youth Trust has enrolled over 550 primary and secondary schools in these award schemes, empowering 63,000 young people to put leadership into action and make a difference in other people's lives through acts of service and community volunteering.