News

No parent veto over the relationships curriculum

Schools must consult their parents over the content of the new relationships education curriculum, but this does not give a ‘parental veto’, the education secretary has reminded us. Pete Henshaw reports

In light of parent protests outside a number of Birmingham primary schools, education secretary Damian Hinds has expressed his support for teaching about diversity and equal rights.

In a letter to the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), Mr Hinds said that schools must “take into account the considerations in the Equality Duty” and “give consideration to all protected characteristics”.

Relationships education is to become statutory in September 2020 and new draft statutory guidance was backed overwhelmingly by MPs in March.

The issue of parental consultation has been brought to the fore after a number of Birmingham primary schools were hit by parent protests over their use of the No Outsiders programme – which teaches children about diversity and equality “for all sections of the community”, including issues such as homophobia.

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