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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Did I just hear Sunak promise to investigate inappropriate and unsafe sex education in school?

605 replies

Nimbostratus100 · 08/03/2023 12:20

Did I just hear Sunak promise to investigate inappropriate and unsafe sex education in school?

I don't really listen to priminister questions, but I was just channel hopping waiting for the kettle to boil

So IABU to dance a little dance?

YABU - no you misheard, he didn't say that/ he said it but it is meaningless

YANBU - yes you heard it, yes it means something, dance away

OP posts:
napody · 09/03/2023 19:50

lifeturnsonadime · 08/03/2023 14:40

Beyond being taught about puberty, the act of sex, sexuality, contraception, pregnancy/STD risks and having appropriate boundaries / consent what further role should the state have when it comes to sex ed?

Teaching gender ideology, kink and QT is over reach.

And if that makes me a pearl clutcher so be it.

This pretty much sums up what the curriculum should be, for me.

But I don't see evidence that it has overreached at all.

Make ofsted an effective safeguarding inspectorate that works with schools. Crack down on the dodgy external providers for sure. But that's pretty straightforward to do.... politicians that have been responsible for education for 12 years stirring and prevarication and implying these things are happening are a) a distraction tactic and b) an undermining teachers tactic at a time they really are throwing all the threats, insults and undermining tactics they can think of at schools.

jgw1 · 09/03/2023 19:52

Rainbowshit · 09/03/2023 19:48

I've heard there is a push in geography to teach that the Earth is flat.

Yes I agree teaching gender ideology and that humans can change sex is very like teaching that the earth is flat. Both unscientific nonsense. Glad you agree. 🤗

This geography teaching is happening all the time. I think we should start a campaign.

Rainbowshit · 09/03/2023 19:55

Let's do that. I'm with you on that one.

lifeturnsonadime · 09/03/2023 19:55

But I don't see evidence that it has overreached at all.

Yet so many on these boards have, are you saying they are liars?

Are you saying Safe School Alliance is telling lies?

RichardBarrister · 09/03/2023 19:59

Rainbowshit · 09/03/2023 12:16

Now you've completely lost the plot. 🙈

Show quote history

Just popped back in. Yes Rainbow - what a bizarre thing for Believeitornot to say. I must say I found their posts a bit combative and inconsistent.

napody · 09/03/2023 20:12

lifeturnsonadime · 09/03/2023 19:55

But I don't see evidence that it has overreached at all.

Yet so many on these boards have, are you saying they are liars?

Are you saying Safe School Alliance is telling lies?

I beg your pardon- I do think there's evidence for teaching of gender ideology.

The other stuff: teaching that anal sex has the advantage of not resulting in pregnancy, choking discussed (in a 'here's a fun idea'rather than 'this might be featured in porn but is extreme and dangerous')... no... I don't see robust evidence. And no, I don't count a couple of posts on here as robust evidence- most seem at least 3 degrees away from actually observing it or having resources to share and evidence they've been used.

The safe schools alliance looks a bit of an odd one to me. Having an overarching aim of 'supporting safeguarding' but then virtually all of the content being about gender ideology (and I'm gender critical myself) seems odd.

IneedanewTV · 09/03/2023 20:13

jgw1 · 09/03/2023 19:37

The 1976 and 1993 acts that made sex and relationships education in maintained schools in England and Wales compulsory I would suggest were more than a few years ago.
There was also interesting guidance on the subject published during the 2nd world war.

Show quote history

Now you Are being silly. I wasn’t taught how to safely choke a person. Are you always this argumentative no wonder nothing gets decided in this world. No one can debate anymore.

Rainbowshit · 09/03/2023 20:15

It's odd all these people that claim to be gender critical but are happy with gender ideology being taught in schools. 🤔

Do you mean that it should be taught as fact or like religion in that some people believe in it but others don't?

jgw1 · 09/03/2023 20:19

Rainbowshit · 09/03/2023 20:15

It's odd all these people that claim to be gender critical but are happy with gender ideology being taught in schools. 🤔

Do you mean that it should be taught as fact or like religion in that some people believe in it but others don't?

There are plenty of schools that teach that God created the world in 7 days as fact. Should we start a campaign?

jgw1 · 09/03/2023 20:20

IneedanewTV · 09/03/2023 20:13

Now you Are being silly. I wasn’t taught how to safely choke a person. Are you always this argumentative no wonder nothing gets decided in this world. No one can debate anymore.

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I do though have some way to go to post the silliest post on this thread.

lifeturnsonadime · 09/03/2023 20:21

jgw1 · 09/03/2023 20:19

There are plenty of schools that teach that God created the world in 7 days as fact. Should we start a campaign?

Show quote history

Since when did that belief lead to children wanting to be the opposite sex and exploring puberty blockers and mutilating their healthy bodies?

It's not comparable.

VikingVolva · 09/03/2023 20:22

jgw1 · 09/03/2023 20:19

There are plenty of schools that teach that God created the world in 7 days as fact. Should we start a campaign?

Show quote history

Not in the British state sector there isn't - banned in 2014

Private schools under guidance to desist since 2018

jgw1 · 09/03/2023 20:23

lifeturnsonadime · 09/03/2023 20:21

Since when did that belief lead to children wanting to be the opposite sex and exploring puberty blockers and mutilating their healthy bodies?

It's not comparable.

Show quote history

A previous poster suggested that schools teach religion as a belief that some people follow.
There are schools that teach religion as fact, just saying.

jgw1 · 09/03/2023 20:23

VikingVolva · 09/03/2023 20:22

Not in the British state sector there isn't - banned in 2014

Private schools under guidance to desist since 2018

Show quote history

But in other jurisdictions they do. We should start a campaign.

Rainbowshit · 09/03/2023 20:25

There are plenty of schools that teach that God created the world in 7 days as fact. Should we start a campaign?

I'll support it if you start a campaign. I don't think religious teaching as fact has any place in state funded schools. I include gender ideology in that.

jgw1 · 09/03/2023 20:28

Rainbowshit · 09/03/2023 20:25

There are plenty of schools that teach that God created the world in 7 days as fact. Should we start a campaign?

I'll support it if you start a campaign. I don't think religious teaching as fact has any place in state funded schools. I include gender ideology in that.

Let's do it.

The law requires every school to have a collective act of daily worship of a broadly Christian nature.

Rainbowshit · 09/03/2023 20:31

The law requires every school to have a collective act of daily worship of a broadly Christian nature.

Let's campaign for a law change then! No place for religion in schools anymore given the census.

Other than teaching tolerance for those that do believe obviously.

lifeturnsonadime · 09/03/2023 20:47

At the same time will @jgw1 campaign from removing other unsubstantiated beliefs from schools along with teaching children about kink and QT.

Or will @jgw1 carry on with the dismissal and denial that it happens?

Or say that if it does it is not that bad?

Reminder this thread is about Sex Ed in school.

If @jgw1 wants to start a thread about banning religious belief in school then they should do that. I will happily support that.

OMG12 · 09/03/2023 21:56

jgw1 · 09/03/2023 17:55

I was only trying to help as you did not seem to be comphrending that someone who does something regularly is more likely to be expert at it than someone who does it occassionally.

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Well, you weren’t were you? I would hope a teacher is encouraging debate and discussion every working day of their lives. It’s just a slightly different subject. Talking about sex and relationships needs very little technical knowledge. It’s the soft skills round it that’s important, soft skills every teacher should have

Timesawastin · 09/03/2023 22:19

ExtraOnions · 08/03/2023 12:27

Depends what you consider “inappropriate and unsafe” - primary age children learning that some other children have same sex parents is fine. Children learning about what is and isn’t ok when it comes to people touching them if is fine.

i do get confused by the pearl clutching

I have a number of friends who were sexually abused as children, maybe if they had been educated on what was happening to them, it may not have carried on. They didn’t have the language or context to explain what was happening.

It's the usual MN Transphobia. They really think the Tories care about women's rights, and are going to vote for them. Apparently you can fool some of the people all of the time.
Then they'll be all " but, but, they told us they knew what a woman is"...🙄

MarshaBradyo · 09/03/2023 22:23

Timesawastin · 09/03/2023 22:19

It's the usual MN Transphobia. They really think the Tories care about women's rights, and are going to vote for them. Apparently you can fool some of the people all of the time.
Then they'll be all " but, but, they told us they knew what a woman is"...🙄

Show quote history

It's the usual MN Transphobia.

What is?

Rainbowshit · 09/03/2023 22:23

Yawn. 🥱

lifeturnsonadime · 09/03/2023 22:24

MarshaBradyo · 09/03/2023 22:23

It's the usual MN Transphobia.

What is?

Show quote history

It's transphobic to want kids to be safe in school.

Of course it is.

Everything is transphobic.

DdraigGoch · 10/03/2023 00:17

Hobbi · 09/03/2023 18:01

There hasn't been an investigation yet. It's perfectly reasonable to be concerned about how it may be conducted. Cates has said she doesn't want the DfE involved, I find that extremely sinister as there is no reason the relevant department shouldn't investigate issues that are in its remit. I would prefer Ofsted to conduct the investigation and review. Why do you have a problem with that?

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If the DfE may be implicated in a scandal (there's certainly a lot of iffy things coming out of there, even if no link to the specific issue at hand) then it's entirely sensible that an inquiry should be independent of them. Don't want them marking their own homework, after all. Such an investigation would be lead by an academic or a peer with a suitable background, much like the inquiry into the way that Rotherham CSE cases were handled. Independent inquiries aren't exactly unheard of.

DdraigGoch · 10/03/2023 00:22

Hobbi · 09/03/2023 18:25

If individual hospitals were accused of dodgy practices, the Department of Health would investigate. It would be odd to say they shouldn't do so. I don't know why Cates should immediately object to the DfE doing its job.

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Bollocks, the Mid Staffordshire scandal was investigated by an independent inquiry headed by a QC.

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