Bumping this as it is a good article and the questions at the end are what many organisations should be looking to ask themselves. But as the CofE has such a massive role in schools, they really should reflect hard on this. Good that the author includes the silence on JKR and Forstater, and highlights the fact Ozanne has kept her influential role as well.
The questions at the end:
All this raises major questions for the Church of England, for Synod, and for the whole approach on this issue for C of E Education and schools:
- What has been the influence of Mermaids and Stonewall in policy and practice, both at a national level, in guidance, and at a local level in Church of England schools? What guidance will now be issued about screening organisations who are invited into C of E schools?
- How have we allowed ideological entryism to have such a powerful grip on discussions at a national level in the Church?
- What do we need to do to recover a proper theological vision of what it means to be a child, what it means to grow to maturity, and the role of education in this? What is the distinctive Christian vision of education that the Church of England has to offer?
- When will the deeply flawed report ‘Valuing All God’s Children’ be scrapped, and what will be offered in its place?
- How and when will the Church of England revisit its uncritical support for ‘Conversion Therapy’ bans?
- Why has campaigning against a damaging ideology which has harmed children been left to secular campaigners? Where has the voice of the Church of England and its bishops been in this debate? Why have we been so slow to speak up?
- When will the Church of England join voices campaigning for the protection of childhood in restricting the use of smartphones—and when will it at last speak up for the importance of marriage and parenting?