"Teachers to tell children Gender Ideology is a contested belief"

So much this. 100% particularly this bit

That's the balance educators have to find and it's why it's been so disastrous for the "sex positive / you're a bigot if you don't embrace porn, sex work kink" brigade to have been allowed to influence what happens in schools.

Does everyone remember the outfit that went into schools and no doubt retraumatised the abused children whilst also exposing others to inappropriate sexual content by getting children to draw dick pics they'd been sent? I'll try and find the thread on it later...

I seem to recall same outfit claimed that children could 'ask to leave' if they wanted to - thus demonstrating a TOTAL and UTTER lack of understanding of the dynamics between adults and children in schools.

They were also the genital modelling clay people from memory (though I may be mixing up my epic safeguarding failures).

The amount of teachers falling all over themselves to have a pop at the government.

Head teachers revolt over ‘irresponsible’ age limits on sex education

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/c0c638c3-d100-4a4d-a573-c7dce2d6a8e3?shareToken=6d7b6b9cb03586018ad0a8e38fd057f8

Today's YouGov Chat is about sex-ed (apologies if duplicate):

https://www.yougov.chat/channels/daily-chat-uk/

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I don't understand why this proposal is controversial. From what I understand all the critics are claiming this is what they're doing anyway. If that's the case then what's the problem? If that's the case.

Picking up this point belatedly.
I've been a safeguarding and pastoral lead in schools for years as well as a teacher of sex ed so may have even have more experience in this area than your Mum

My comment in no way implied that "if you talk about contraception then young people will start to have sex" and I can't see how got there from what I said. I was pointing out that sex ed is taught in mainstream classes with a range of children with different life experiences, knowledge, social and emotional needs. This is why teaching has to be age appropriate and I challenged why men like Chalke are arguing that the experiences of an abused 11 / 12 year old child should be the target for a mainstream lesson.
It's very challenging to get this right and the reality is some some children won't be ready for certain concepts that other peers will be. That's the balance educators have to find and it's why it's been so disastrous for the "sex positive / you're a bigot if you don't embrace porn, sex work kink" brigade to have been allowed to influence what happens in schools.

What does "successfully and safely " even mean come to that? Have we all got the same opinions on that?

Well no, but parents have parental responsibility and teachers don't. Teachers don't just get to decide what 'successfully and safely' means with no consultation with parents.

It's one thing to teach scientific facts - I agree with that. It's another to assume all children are ready to make decisions about contraception with no parental input.

"Working Together" is very clear that parents should be involved in safeguarding related discussions / safeguarding - related information. Contraception is definitely that.

(I'm trying to find the right section to mention para 203, haven't found it yet...)

Initially I thought they only wanted to hear from professionals but there is an option to answer as a parent.

@HipTightOnions are you going to start another thread about the KCSIE consultation? I think it would be really good to bring to people's attention to contribute to that.

https://www.transgendertrend.com/no-outsiders-queering-primary-classroom/

Read this detailed investigation into and description of No Outsiders material. And previous MN threads. Those two radio guests do not represent balance, quite the opposite.

Safe Schools Alliance has useful resources and factsheets on this topic.
https://safeschoolsallianceuk.net/

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@GardenCherisher our school does a unit on sexual reproduction covering your first two bullet points in science in some detail in Year 7 so it would be perfect if the PSHE curriculum covered your last 3 points at the same time. That would make total sense to me as a parent, anyway!

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I've got no trouble with teaching biological facts and contraception methods to primary school kids. In fact, I think there's a plus to teaching it before puberty kicks in, as then it's just another fact like "what a volcano is" and "how digestion works".
Give the parents the full content beforehand so they can add their own gloss (e.g. no sex before marriage, no contraception) before or after the lessons, and Bob's yer uncle.

• This is how babies are conceived.
• This is what a period is.
• This is how you avoid babies being made.
• This is how the different methods work.
• Some religions have rules about when people should or should not have intercourse or use contraception - this is something your religious leaders or your family will discuss with you.

You're right, *ResisterRex". Our DSL laughed at me when I said this was a safeguarding issue!

This is where the focus on the EQA has been to the detriment of children. How on earth it became the Single Most Overriding Important Thing, is beyond me.

No one has a right to teach children, or to work with them. This is what Safer Recruitment was for. Seems everywhere has effectively shelved it.

We need a public inquiry.

I mean it's a lovely idea but does it reflect the real world?

I just think that is too naive @Ginnyweasleyswand

"Parents might not be experts (although they will have had sex to conceive a child and managed to raise that child successfully and safely, so, you know, there is that 'lived experience' which a lot of younger teachers won't have) but they have the skills and resources to identify who an appropriate source of information for their family is. "

That assumption that all children are being raised "successfully and safely " by a parents. It sounds like you're limiting your ideas to your family and friends.

What does "successfully and safely " even mean come to that? Have we all got the same opinions on that?

I think there need to be questions asked about to what extent any Teacher who is imposing their identity on and asking for compliance from children is doing their job i.e. acting in the best interests of those children.

In my experience there is a great reluctance to challenge them for fear of falling foul of the Equality Act.

That, and a tremendous amount of embarrassment.

Also @Ginnyweasleyswand I said single sex classes. I mean co educational schools dividing pupils into single sex sessions for sex education to be clear. This is imperative in my opinion.

Parents might not be experts (although they will have had sex to conceive a child and managed to raise that child successfully and safely, so, you know, there is that 'lived experience' which a lot of younger teachers won't have) but they have the skills and resources to identify who an appropriate source of information for their family is.

Just as more and more parents are choosing to homeschool and employ tutors / homeschooling companies to help them, often with great success.

And frankly I do often know better than a lot of teachers on some things - it's shocking how bad some of the maths teachers are. I also know my own children far, far better than any teacher or 'expert' and so can tailor my messages to them in an age appropriate way that any outside 'experts' cannot.

The biology of sex and contraception isn't rocket science.

They must not have to prop up adults' imagined ideas of self. That is adultification.

This is happening though. Sadly I haven't seen anything explicit about this in any guidance, so it's likely to continue.

And, as I say, parents not trusting their child's teacher is a casualty of this bollocks. Along with so many other things.

And also when children are required to "validate" teachers or other adults.

This! What happened to Safer Recruitment?