Christian group says 'heterosexual marriage should be gold standard' after government opens sex education debate

A christian group has provoked anger after responding to the government’s sex education debate by declaring “heterosexual marriage should be gold standard for children”.

Education Secretary Justine Greening is drafting a new relationships and sex education (RSE) curriculum for the first time in almost two decades.

She today opened a consultation period, which will last eight weeks, and wants the views of parents, teachers and pupils to find ‘age-appropriate’ ways of educating children.

Greening said: “It is unacceptable that relationships and sex education (RSE) guidance has not been updated for almost 20 years, especially given the online risks, such as sexting and cyber bullying, our children and young people face.

“Young people must have an education that teaches them the importance of healthy and stable relationships.

“This call for evidence is about giving teachers, parents and especially young people a chance to help shape that new approach and I’d urge them to take part.”

However, Andrea Williams, chief executive of Christian Concern, said that, “sadly, sex education programmes in our schools have failed.”

She said that “there is no ‘age-appropriate’ way to teach primary school children about sexual relationships. Nor should primary school children be taught about homosexual relationships or transgenderism as they are too young to engage with such concepts.

She added that “we have created a highly sexualised culture that is not healthy for our children and young people.”

“At secondary school, marriage between a man and a woman should be taught as the gold standard of relationships.

“Marriage is the recognition of long-term, committed, stable, exclusive relationships which are the most fulfilling relationships, and which have the most benefit for society as well as being the best environment for children to be brought up,” she said.

However, a Stonewall spokesperson said that failings in RSE leave LGBT young people ill-equipped to make safe, informed decisions about their relationships, health and wellbeing.

“Along with many other organisations, we would like to see the new subject form part of wider PSHE and to cover the breadth of issues that young people experience or need to know about to have safe, healthy relationships – from areas like consent and abuse to online safety – delivered in an age-appropriate way that reflects the needs and experiences of all young people, including LGBT young people who are so often excluded,” the spokesperson said.

“The call for evidence is the first opportunity for all schools to be required to teach about LGBT issues in their relationships and sex education teaching since Section 28 was repealed. Justine Greening has been clear that the 17 year wait for updated guidance was far too long. Many religious education syllabuses already include teaching about different religious attitudes towards same-sex marriage.”