Schools in England should not teach about gender identity, according to new draft guidance from the government. Government sources told BBC News about plans to ban sex education for under-nines, as well as teaching about gender identity, on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the new guidance would ensure children were not “exposed to disturbing content”. Some teachers have said there is no evidence of a widespread problem.
Teaching unions have said the review was “politically motivated”. Under the plans, secondary-school pupils will learn about protected characteristics, such as sexual orientation and gender reassignment.
But the updated guidance makes clear schools “should not teach about the concept of gender identity”, the government says.
It said it was right to take a “cautious approach”, adding teaching materials that “present contested views as fact – including the view that gender is a spectrum” should be avoided.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan told BBC Breakfast: “Biological sex is the basis of relationship, s.e.x and health education – not these contested views.”
The government is also strengthening rules to make it easier for parents to access teaching materials from schools, to see what their children are learning.
Announcing the guidance, Mr Sunak said: “Parents rightly trust that when they send their children to school, they are kept safe and will not be exposed to disturbing content that is inappropriate for their age. That’s why I was horrified to hear reports of this happening in our classrooms last year.
“I will always act swiftly to protect our children and this new guidance will do exactly that, while supporting teachers to teach these important topics sensitively and giving parents access to curriculum content if they wish.”
Ms Keegan said the new guidance had been motivated by a request from teachers “to provide more clarity” on age-appropriate sex education, but she had also seen reports of “campaign groups’ or lobby groups’ materials” being used in classrooms.
Source: BBC
In other news – Man told he is not British after 42 years in UK
A retired 74-year-old Ghanaian man who has lived in the UK for nearly 50 years must wait a decade before the Home Office will let him stay permanently. Nelson Shardey, from Wallasey in Wirral, had for many years assumed he was officially seen as British.
He only discovered otherwise in 2019 and, despite paying taxes all his adult life, now faces paying thousands of pounds to stay and use the NHS. The Home Office declined to comment on the ongoing legal case. Read more
