A concerned father is urging the chief education officer of the Church of England to take action over allegedly inappropriate and explicit sex education lessons in his child’s church school.
The unidentified parent appealed to the Rev. Nigel Genders after claiming the unnamed Church of England school in Norfolk, England, is utilizing materials that teach children as young as 7 that they can be born in the wrong body, according to the London-based Christian Legal Centre (CLC), which is aiding his legal battle, according to the Christian Post.
The materials also reportedly encouraged young students to participate in simulated same-sex weddings. The anonymous father reportedly expressed his concerns about the curriculum to the school and an independent review board, but his concerns were not addressed.
The parent also reportedly asked the Church of England to step in and explain why such a curriculum was being promoted at a Church of England school.
Genders reportedly responded to the parent’s complaint by claiming that schools are allowed to make up their own minds about sex education lessons, and he punted the parent back to the school with regard to his grievance.
“I see that you have taken your concerns to the school, which is entirely the right and appropriate thing to do,” Genders said, according to the CLC. “The [sex education] policy and decisions about the resources used to deliver it are the responsibility of the school in consultation with parents, having due regard to any advice from the Diocesan Board of Education.”
“Given that schools are seeking to do the very best for children as they grow in maturity and mindful of the high-profile focus on this area in the media and elsewhere, it will be very helpful to have new guidance from the government on how these contested issues are handled within educational settings. We expect this guidance very soon,” he continued.
“We also look forward to the review of how [sex education] is being taught and the materials schools are using, as well as some clarity on the rather subjective question of age-appropriateness as it applies to teaching aspects of sex education,” he added. “In the meantime, please do continue to be in discussion with your daughter’s schools about your concerns.”
The father, who has since reportedly pulled his two children and placed them in a different school, alleged that the Church of England is “passing the buck of responsibility” with regard to the contentious curriculum. He said the material is “wholly age inappropriate, sexually explicit, ideologically influenced and unsupported by scientific basis.”
