New rules risk same-sex marriage push in schools

Aug 12, 2014

From next month, academies, free schools and independent schools in England will be required to ‘actively promote’ the rights defined in the Equality Act 2010. The new Government regulations provide an opportunity for activists to push same-sex marriage in the classroom.

The Department for Education claims anti-extremism measures promote ‘British values’ and are required in the wake of the recent ‘Trojan Horse’ scandal. But it is difficult to see how promoting same-sex marriage addresses extremist ideology of the sort seen in Birmingham. The Government has made the mistake of equating ‘British values’ with political correctness.

The Association of School and College Leaders has warned that the plans are rushed and could limit free speech with teachers becoming reluctant to discuss controversial topics.