ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)– The United Kingdom has proposed a ban on sex education, including gender identity, in schools for children under nine.Â
This was contained in a new draft guidance introduced by the government on Wednesday, according to Peoples Gazette.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stated that the guidance aims to ensure children are not exposed to inappropriate content.
“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“, Sunak said.Â
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According to the plan, secondary school pupils will learn about protected characteristics, such as sexual orientation and gender reassignment.
However, the country’s teaching union has criticized the review, describing it as “politically motivated.”Â
Teachers have also stated there is no evidence of a widespread problem.
The government, however, insists that the updated guidance makes it clear that schools “should not teach about the concept of gender identity.”
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said that biological sex should be the basis of relationship, sex, and health education, not contested views.
Keegan told the BBC that the government is strengthening rules to make it easier for parents to access teaching materials from schools, allowing them to see what their children are learning.
She mentioned that teachers had requested more clarity on age-appropriate sex education and had reported the use of materials from “campaign groups or lobby groups” in classrooms.
She provided evidence of lesson slides that included various genders and identities, describing it as inappropriate. “Parents are the first educators of their children, so there should be transparency, and they should be able to see the materials,” Keegan said.
Some parents have welcomed the idea of restrictions on sex education. Others, however, warn that if children cannot receive information about certain topics from their teachers, they are more likely to seek potentially harmful content online.