Scots’ outrage as Blair breaks sex education promises

Scottish parents are outraged today after a teaching guide suggesting homosexual role-play was recommended in official sex education guidelines issued by the Scottish Executive. The story has made front page news in the Scotsman (today) and the Daily Mail (23 March).

The Executive’s recommendation of homosexual role-play comes despite promises made by the Prime Minister in Glasgow last March that “no child is going to be forced to take part in homosexual role playing.”

The guide, called Taking Sex Seriously, is aimed at children as young as 11. It also suggests that pupils learn about “all the different sexual activities that two people can do together”. This includes group sex, partner swapping, sado-masochism, tying up and “fingering the anus”.

Another lesson in the guide suggests “a useful homework task” is for children as young as 11 to go and buy condoms from a chemist.

A “pervert’s primer”

Taking Sex Seriously hit the headlines in Scotland after The Christian Institute exposed the guide in its latest report, Sex Lessons For Kids. The Scotsman newspaper today called Taking Sex Seriously a “pervert’s primer”.

The Christian Institute has launched its “Keep the Clothes” campaign which calls on the Scottish Executive to withdraw Taking Sex Seriously along with four other unsuitable teaching guides from the list of recommended resources.

As the Executive considers whether it will stand by its lurid sex resources, the Institute is actively considering plans to:

1. Distribute the Sex Lessons for Kids report to every head teacher in Scotland.The Institute has already taken advice on the possibility of a legal challenge in the Court of Session should children be taught using explicit materials such as those endorsed by the Executive.

Taking Sex Seriously has drawn condemnation from teachers unions, church groups, political parties and family campaigners.

Tino Ferri, national executive officer of the NAS/UWT teachers union called for Taking Sex Seriously to be scrapped. He described the teaching guide as encouraging “perversion” and “deviancy”.

The Catholic Church in Scotland has also condemned recommended resources along with the SNP and the Conservatives. A spokesman for the SNP said the material was “far too explicit for young people.”

Phil Gallie, the Conservative justice spokesman, said: “I think it is totally inappropriate for children of such a young age.” Anne Hill, chief executive of the Scottish School Boards’ Association, said “It is inevitable these materials will be used by teachers if they are on the Executive’s recommended list.”

Colin Hart, Christian Institute Director, said today:

“What we have seen in Scotland may happen in England and Wales if Section 28 is repealed south of the border. The Scottish Executive promised strong guidelines to make sure that inappropriate materials would not find their way into Scottish classrooms. Instead, they have actively recommended some of the worst materials available.

“Tony Blair went to Scotland and promised that there would be no gay role play. But the Executive has recommended a teaching guide which requires pupils to do just that.

“The whole thing has unravelled and become very messy for the Executive. They must now take firm action to clean up Scottish sex education and remove these materials from the recommended resource list.”