Right to view materials used in schools; House of Lords today

[ColdTowel]

I have been following the Schools Bill currently going through Parliament for <reasons> and noticed an interesting amendment that is due to be debated today:

BARONESS MORRIS OF YARDLEY
LORD SANDHURST
LORD MACDONALD OF RIVER GLAVEN

171F_ After Clause 65, insert the following new Clause—
“Parental right to review school curriculum material and commercial
confidentiality
(1) Where parents request it, schools must allow parents to view all curriculum
materials used in schools, including those provided by external third-party
charitable and commercial providers.
(2) Schools must not withhold curriculum materials from parental view, but may
restrict access to parental view on school premises only, including to satisfy the
concerns of third-party providers about commercial prejudice or commercial
confidentiality, including under section 43 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000"

Member's explanatory statement
This amendment would ensure parents can view all school curriculum material on the school premises.

I have seen parents on this board (and on Twitter, Facebook etc.) who have been concerned that they were not being told exactly what resources were being used in their child's schools, particularly on the issue of 'gender identity'. We know lobby groups have been producing unsuitable materials that do not meet the government guidelines, and I also know of parents who have not been allowed to even view materials.

So it is good to see a cross-party trio of peers put this amendment forward. At this stage of a bill it will usually just be to raise the issue, but it will be considered further down the line with a view of getting into the final bill.

There may be some interesting speeches so once Ben Cooper has finished his summing up this might be worth tuning into afterwards?

The Lords sit from 2.30pm today; there are a number of oral questions, then another bill on Social security to look at, but the schools bill may begin to be debated from as early as tea-time onwards. You can watch live on Parliament TV as always:
https://www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/264b7595-d919-4523-9058-af823b37b6ff

If anyone has had issues viewing materials in their child's school, it may be worth writing to your MP to say an amendment of this kind is something they should support when the bill arrives in the Commons.

(Name changed again due to frequent data breaches, but been here since it was all fields...)

Thank you for this. There's so much in the bill - some of it positive and some of it not.

Indeed; I have been following this for a different purpose so only came across it by accident.

On looking for more information, I see Conservatives for Women wrote about it last week:

conservativesforwomen.org/an-amendent-to-the-schools-bill-seeks-visibility-and-openness-for-parents

This really should be obvious.

Any school hesitating to be entirely honest, transparent and open with parents about the information being given to their children and exactly why they think it is right to do so, and can justify to the last place how it is appropriate and balanced and not biased or political has a problem. If they don't want parents to see or know then they're already well aware they are doing something wrong.

Schools should never be indoctrinating children with anything outside of parental sight and knowledge. Nothing at all.

It has cropped up a little earlier that expected; rewind to 3.15pm to see Baroness Morris introducing the amendment. Very good speech from her, and more to follow....

www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/264b7595-d919-4523-9058-af823b37b6ff

Very good support across the House for this amendment. It will be interesting to hear the response from the govt spokesperson when we get it!

Claire Fox gave a mention to Transgender Trend and Safe Schools Alliance in her speech.

Coming up to 2 hours now debating this group of amendments.

Thank you for this, OP, it had passed me by. That would be a very useful bit of legislation. Bit by bit we're claiming this back.

This part of the debate has just finished and Hansard has started to post the transcript but only the first 40 minutes is up so far, rest should appear throughout the evening.

hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2022-06-20/debates/EEB5FCC0-5AFB-4C42-B0EE-329DE1E75976/SchoolsBill(HL)

From the speeches, it is clear this amendment has support across the whole House, but the govt minister responding (Baroness Barran) was quite enegative about it; not sure if she really understands what is going on in schools. On the positive side, she has said she will meet with B Morris and wants to see examples of materials and hear more.

Given the strong support, I expect B Morris to bring this back at the next stage which is report stage, before this bill eventually reaches the Commons.

If you want to write to your MP about it to give them a heads up, using some of the points made in the excellent speeches today, then that will help get it on the radar.

Thank you ColdTowel That's really helpful.

Here is a link to Hansard, now with all the speeches on the amendment:

hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2022-06-20/debates/EEB5FCC0-5AFB-4C42-B0EE-329DE1E75976/SchoolsBill(HL)

Conservatives for Women have just produced an excellent Twitter thread with all the key speeches and a request to contact them, in confidence, or to contact peers directly, if you have been affected by a school refusing to share materials.

twitter.com/CforWomenUK/status/1539188222726742016?s=20&t=Oe3EkKjxWCNTFM93OzWpzA

Thanks for this. I caught some of it late last night on BCC Parliament and stuck with it a while. There was lots of support and good speeches. Just two not - one 'need to emphasise this doesn't mean a parental veto' from Labour and from Green going on about the dangers of profit making companies producing materials for 'profit' whereas charities had a higher purpose (paraphrasing).

Writing to MPs is a good idea.

Useful thread from conservatives for Woman with links to clips.

twitter.com/CforWomenUK/status/1539188254590881793?t=qJVjf7U3A10ZqkUe7JwVyA&s=19

They also ask
10/11 Have you, or anyone you know, had difficulty seeing the materials being used to teach your child? If so, do get in touch with us, in strict confidence, (we will not share your name or the name of the school) and we can
11/11 pass on your experiences to trusted peers so they can prove these are not isolated incidents. Or you can contact them directly at the House of Lords.
t.co/ratrrB9lwT

Thanks, ColdTowel - a very lame response from the government minister, but hopefully she'll be convinced of the need to act once she's had the promised meeting with Estelle Morris.