MS Letter: Protect RSE

Protect LGBT-inclusive education

There is a growing, highly organised protest movement against LGBT inclusive relationships and sexuality education (RSE). This has been exemplified by the national coverage of protests at schools mainly in England. Additionally, many faith schools distort RSE lessons by teaching within the tenets of their faith, which sometimes means teaching that same-sex relationships are morally wrong.

Please ask your MS to urge the Minister for Education to:

Ensure RSE in all schools, including faith schools, is inclusively LGBT inclusive and that faith schools do not distort RSE teaching through religious ideology.
End the parental right of withdrawal from RSE lessons

MSs receive a lot of research and correspondence from campaigning organisations. When their constituents also share these reports it shows that voters care about this issue.

You can use the below template to share the report and its findings and recommendations with your MP; just enter your postcode to get started. Please consider taking the time to personalise it with your own experiences. Let your MSs know:

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Dear {{name}}

I am concerned that the excellent progression in Wales' approach to Relationships & Sexuality Education (RSE) may be undermined by deference to conservative religious concerns. I therefore urge you ask the Minister for Education to:

- Ensure RSE in all schools, including faith schools, is inclusively LGBT inclusive and that faith schools do not distort RSE teaching through religious ideology.
- End the parental right of withdrawal from RSE lessons

The proposed changes to RSE in Wales, including ending the right of withdrawal, are very positive. However, I am concerned that RSE provision is unequal at faith schools and those of no faith ethos. NSS research in 2018 found that all 12 of the secondary state faith schools in Wales which had a policy on RSE were teaching the subject within the tenets of Catholicism or the Church in Wales. The policies the NSS examined in faith schools included condemnations of contraceptives, homosexuality, abortion, sex outside heterosexual marriage and masturbation.

All schools should of course be aware of cultural sensitivities and how pupils’ backgrounds may influence their views on different issues. However, religion must not serve as a euphemism for restricting or diluting relationships or sex education. There is no valid reason for schools to vary the form or content of RSE based on the religious background of their pupils – indeed to do so may be discriminatory.

I would also like to express my support for ending the parental right of withdrawal from RSE lessons. A right to withdraw should not be used to shield pupils from knowledge. All children, regardless of their background, should have equal access to crucial knowledge about relationships and sexuality.

We’ve come a long way in LGBT rights and equality in Wales, and we should take immense pride in this. Please don’t let us go backwards – please urge the Minister for Education to ensure no child is denied the right to objective, informative and inclusive education on relationships and sexuality.

Yours sincerely,

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MS Letter: Protect RSE

Protect LGBT-inclusive education

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