Faith Schools and Homosexuality
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In the UK the government have been accused of making a u-tun in respect to faith school and how they teach about homosexuality. UK schools secretary Ed Balls has tabled an amendment to the Children, Schools and Families Bill that allows faith schools to teach sex education “in a way that reflects the school’s religious character”. This would give schools the freedom to teach about issues such as sexuality in a way that is consistent with their religion rather than taking the government’s position.
On their website the The Catholic Education Service has said that it is they who lobbied for this amendment to be added to the bill.
When you consider that around one third of the schools in England are faith schools this leaves us asking the question, will these schools choose to teach that homosexuality is a sin and that things like contraception are immoral?
Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain, Chairman of the Accord Coalition, a group for inclusive education, has reacted to the news by saying:
It is astonishing that the government plans to deny young people of their right to accurate, balanced PSHE [personal, social and health education] and sex and relationships education, and allow state funded schools to teach the subject from a particular religious viewpoint…By taking this position, Ed Balls is implicitly condoning homophobia in schools and undermining attempts to tackle homophobic bullying. After Labour has done so much for equality, this looks like a 21st century Section 28.
It’s a tough one for the government. On the one hand they can’t be seen to be disrespecting people’s right to be part of a religion and to bring their children up in that faith, on the other, they don’t want to be seen to be allowing schools to teach children to not accept people.
Nick Clegg of the Liberal Democrats has responded to this proposed amendment by saying that:
Crucially faith schools should have a requirement to have an anti-homophobic bullying policy at their school
Personally, I believe that faith should be taught at home and all schools should teach acceptance of everyone. Religion needs to be separated from education in my opinion, but this is an argument that will run and run.
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Great post & important subject.
It’s one thing I’ll never understand about Ireland, and I think Canada has got right. You shouldn’t teach faith alongside — say — gravity. While schools teach objective truths/facts, they shouldn’t be in the business of peddling belief.
I think comparative religion has a place in schools but actual faith education does not. If parents feel so strongly about their children’s religious education, why don’t they just take them to church?
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