Faith Schools Lobby to Ditch LGBT-Inclusive Lessons

Private schools will be exempt from teaching LGBT-inclusive lessons after several faith-based schools lobbied the government, The Sunday Times reports.

This exemption comes after Education Secretary Damian Hinds launched a series of reforms to the independent school regulatory system. Initially it had proposed that schools must “[require] active promotion of respect for other people, even if they hold views, choose to follow a lifestyle, or have protected characteristics, different from a pupil’s own or those prevalent in the pupil’s immediate community,” adding that pupils must be made aware of the Equality Act’s protected characteristics — which include “sexual orientation” and “gender reassignment” — in an “age-appropriate way.”

Many have criticised the government for caving so quickly to the religious primary schools. Professor Alan Smithers of Buckingham University told the Times: “Whether or not young children should be taught about LGBT issues and gay families in schools has been a battleground for ages.

“This looks like a government U-turn. Jewish, Christian and Muslim groups have bitterly resisted the requirement to teach alternative lifestyles, with protests and placards. If this loophole is granted to independent schools, there will be a big push for this in state primary schools too.”