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 Ed Balls denies sex education 'opt out' for faith schools
The Daily Telegraph reports that faith schools will be required to teach about homosexuality, abortion and contraception in compulsory sex education, the Government has said, although they would still be able to teach these issues in a way that reflected their religious character.
The changes to the Children, Schools and Families Bill will also include an amendment so that parents will lose their right to withdraw children from sex education when they turn 15.
The Government has been accused of watering down the Bill since faith schools will be able to teach sex education along the lines of their religious beliefs. However, Ed Balls, the Schools Secreatary, said: "There is no watering down of what is actually an overdue change.
“There is no opt-out for any faith school from teaching the full, broad, balanced curriculum on sex and relationship education and that is a huge step forward.”
He added: “Catholic schools can say to their pupils that, as a religion, we believe contraception is wrong, but what they can't do is therefore say they are not going to teach about contraception.
"What this changes is that for the first time these schools cannot just ignore these issues or teach only one side of the argument.
"They also have to teach that there are different views on homosexuality. They cannot teach homophobia. They must explain civil partnership.”
The Catholic Church has welcomed the move which it said was introduced following “a period of extensive lobbying by the Catholic Education Service”.
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(Source: The Daily Telegraph, 23/02/10)
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