Updated relationships, sex and health curriculum guidance

[umbel]

Updated government guidance, released today!!!

That's brilliant!

This is absolutely fantastic, so clear and with safeguarding at its heart. FINALLY.

And it sounds like Stonewall, Mermaids, Allsorts, etc. and all are definitively off the curriculum.

This is great news!

Fantastic news.

Absolutely amazing!!!!

What a relief. Schools and LA who have been a bit short on the safeguarding will need to rapidly go in search of appropriate materials.

So no room for GI Joe, Barbie or I am Jazz in the classroom. That's great news.

Mermaids response (I haven't read it through yet):

mermaidsuk.org.uk/news/understanding-school-guidance/

Text for those who can't read images:

We are aware that topics involving gender and biological sex can be complex and sensitive matters to navigate. You should not reinforce harmful stereotypes, for instance by suggesting that children might be a different gender based on their personality and interests or the clothes they prefer to wear. Resources used in teaching about this topic must always be age-appropriate and evidence based. Materials which suggest that non-conformity to gender stereotypes should be seen as synonymous with having a different gender identity should not be used and you should not work with external agencies or organisations that produce such material. While teachers should not suggest to a child that their non-compliance with gender stereotypes means that either their personality or their body is wrong and in need of changing, teachers should always seek to treat individual students with sympathy and support.

www.gov.uk/guidance/plan-your-relationships-sex-and-health-curriculum#ensuring-content-is-appropriate

Brilliant news - thanks for sharing!

I am so relieved.

It means that ordinary parents can go to their schools and point out what is wrong, without the whole rigmarole of having to understand and point out what is wrong with the ideology that has been pushing these changes into schools.

It is very clear.

I notice that they mention safeguarding as well.

You should work together with parents on any decisions regarding your school’s treatment of their child, in line with the school’s safeguarding policy and the statutory guidance on working together to safeguard children.

Watching here from Ireland. Well done. BeLonGTo are delivering our RSE to schools and it’s shocking what they’re teaching here.

Mermaids said this We are further concerned by an apparent implication that teachers are pushing their personal ideologies onto young people. It is absolutely wrong for any adult to press their own prejudice onto young minds; indeed, we see the damage this can do to young people suffering transphobia every day. With that in mind, we must reassure school staff that affirming, accepting and acknowledging transgender lives is quite the opposite of prejudice; it is an absence of prejudice and an act of kindness, empowerment and sympathy.

Not sure about you, but I think they've got a nerve

Wow. That's excellent and very clear.

That is awesome work. all round.

That mermaid statement chock full of back tracking bullshit!

Read Mermaids' statement – they are falling over themselves to twist the DfE guidance to fit their agenda.

For example:

DfE: “While teachers should not suggest to a child that their non-compliance with gender stereotypes means that either their personality or their body is wrong and in need of changing, teachers should always seek to treat individual students with sympathy and support.“

Mermaids: "[P]ut simply, adults should never tell a child they have the ‘wrong’ body OR use physical characteristics to tell a child what their gender is."

"It is absolutely wrong for any adult to press their own prejudice onto young minds;"

Direct quote from the Mermaids site. They mean the teachers.
The lack of self awareness is staggering.

That's very clear.
You must not work with organisations that promote gender ideology based on negative stereotypes..

Oh my god. BRILLIANT.

Such relief here

Mermaids crowbarring themselves into the debate as usual. Desperate.

DfE: “You should not reinforce harmful stereotypes, for instance by suggesting that children might be a different gender based on their personality and interests or the clothes they prefer to wear.“

SG's TED talk is particularly illuminating on this point, no matter how hard Mermaids are trying to backtrack from it now.

That mermaids response is weird. They totally miss the point in many quotes - totally ignore reference to biological sex or completely ignore the big they've just quoted and write something irrelevant.

This is brilliant.