RSHE Guidance: Is the tide turning?
The draft RSHE guidance from the Department for Education has arrived, with Rishi Sunak saying it ensures the protection of children from exposure "disturbing content." The guidance advises against teaching gender identity and defers explicit discussions on sex until age 13. It underscores the importance of teaching biological facts and introduces age limits, prohibiting sex education for primary school children until Year 5, when they are aged 9 and over.
I for one, feel cautiously optimistic. This, alongside other recent developments signify a ‘sea change’ in the zeitgeist around issues of gender and sexuality. But my optimism is tempered by the knowledge that this is probably only the beginning of a journey away from ideologies that have become embedded within our educational institutions.
For several years, Christian teachers have expressed unease about RSHE curriculum. Many feel sidelined when teaching content they view as biased against Christian beliefs. Growing concerns involve the promotion of political ideologies on identity and morality. Incidents like class trips to Pride marches, mandatory "Rainbow days," and disciplinary actions against Christian teachers for issues of inclusivity are alarming.
One teacher I heard from had this to say:
“School bought in the "Sexual Circus" company, which perform circus acts interspersed with short talks about sex and masturbation.”
Another said:
“it was certainly made clear by the PSHE lead during the latest PSHE CPD that non-conformity to gender stereotypes is synonymous with having a different gender”
Another teacher recalled that:
“One speaker said it was ‘fine to watch porn so long as it is ethically sourced’ and provided links to sites students could explore.”
These objections to ‘inclusive’ materials are not about bigotry or intolerance. I’m a teacher. But my primary concern about RSHE teaching isn't just the comfort of Christian educators or my own children; it's for the well-being and flourishing of an entire generation of young people navigating a world filled with conflicting ideologies on sexuality and gender.
God shows us who we are through our bodies, designed for different roles in reproduction. Genesis 1 connects our creation as male and female to the command to be fruitful and multiply, providing a clear basis to distinguish between men and women, and protect women's-and girls’- rights. The Bible teaches that marriage, an intimate lifelong union between one man and one woman, is the only appropriate place for sexual intercourse, reflecting the goodness of God's design for us.
And research affirms this. Studies show that marriage enhances stability for parents and provides a buffer against issues for children. It remains a significant protective factor even when considering background and other factors.
Yet, since the law on RSHE changed in 2019, the floodgates opened. Activist groups seized the opportunity to liberally interpret new guidelines on LGBT content to profit and promote their ideologies in schools. Evidence of political bias and disregard for traditional or Christian views on relationships was abundant in many materials.
This is a time of lament. We know that many young people have potentially been misled or harmed. Some were fed a damaging lie via the curriculum that they may have been ‘born in the wrong body’. And this at the hands of those who are meant to nurture and act ‘in loco parentis’! Children have been caught up in an ideological battle and even Dr Cass- the paediatrician who led the review into NHS gender identity services- said that children had been ‘let down’ by a failure to base care on evidence.
There will be lots of discussion over the coming months about whether this is the right course of action to safeguard our children and minimise risk. Critics will say that children will search elsewhere for information on sex or gender identity. However, the solution to safeguarding children online isn't to lower the bar of what we teach to match the most disturbing online content or to introduce concepts prematurely ‘just in case’. Instead, it involves raising awareness of unsafe images, shielding them from harmful content, and maintaining the apolitical nature of curriculum content.
Come July, regardless of whether a new government decides to revise or replace the current guidance, we will have to wait and see. The Lord is aware of all outcomes. Our trust does not rest in policies, but in Him alone.
In a secularised and fragmented world, grounding our education system in science, reason, and truth is crucial. And let’s pray for Christian teachers to be the leaders in delivering curriculum in a sensitive, responsible way, obeying the call in Colossians 3 to “clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience”.