Despite an unprecedented volume of representations from the public on the government’s Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) bill, the House of Lords voted to approve the legislation on 24 April.
Lord Hodgson, a member of the Scrutiny Committee said: ‘In all the years I have served…there has never been [such a] volume of outside representation.’ And while he said he didn’t want to ‘ride roughshod’ over the serious concerns of the more than 400 respondents, that is seemingly what has occurred.
Certainly, Lord Curry thought parents were being undermined and that teachers may have to contradict their own beliefs as they taught the materials.
Lord McCrea also thought it seemed ‘strange’ that the government had downplayed the high number of ‘thought-provoking’ responses.
Lord Farmer noted: ‘The assumption seems to be growing that it is the state which educates children.’
The Bishop of Durham, Paul Butler, meanwhile, drew attention to child development and the need to carefully assess what is appropriate to teach children at ‘vulnerable ages.’ He asked why parents were not responsible for this. Like Lord Hodgson, he appeared worried that the subjects would ‘morph’ into each other.
In contrast, Baroness Deech strongly welcomed the law stating that teachers need protection from ‘blinkered and bigoted’ parents and school governors.
However, if parents engage in the discussion, there is scope for them to have greater influence on a school’s RSE policy.
