Sexual indoctrination

7th Mar 2010

LEARNING about sex, con­tra­cep­tion, abor­tion, sex­u­al­ity and sta­ble rela­tion­ships is an undoubt­edly nec­es­sary part of children’s school edu­ca­tion. What is less cer­tain is the posi­tion reli­gious val­ues should take in this. Some argue that chil­dren should learn about these impor­tant issues with­out being influ­enced by ‘out­dated’ reli­gious val­ues. Oth­ers main­tain that schools with a reli­gious ethos should be able to at least tell stu­dents what their reli­gious faith teaches on these matters.

The Gov­ern­ment recently inter­vened on the issue. Par­lia­ment is cur­rently debat­ing a bill that would oblige schools to teach about con­tra­cep­tion and sta­ble rela­tion­ships and ban homo­pho­bia in the class­room. But it would also allow faith schools to teach sex edu­ca­tion ‘in a way that reflects the school’s reli­gious char­ac­ter.’ Ed Balls, the Schools Sec­re­tary, said ‘there is no opt-out for any faith school from teach­ing the full, broad, bal­anced cur­ricu­lum on sex and rela­tion­ship edu­ca­tion.’ 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.’

I am pro-choice on abor­tion, loathe homo­pho­bia and see con­tra­cep­tion as a cru­cial com­po­nent of safe sex, but the deeply-held beliefs of some with a reli­gious faith cause them to dis­agree with me on these points. It is prob­lem­atic to simul­ta­ne­ously call for tol­er­ance regard­ing abor­tion, sex­u­al­ity and con­tra­cep­tion and intol­er­ance regard­ing faith-based val­ues and beliefs. The Government’s bill strikes the prag­matic bal­ance of accept­ing these reli­gious beliefs and pro­mot­ing accu­rate and bal­anced sex education.