Sex ed delivered by anti-abortion campaigners?

Michelle Haywood raises concern about religious group’s involvement

Sex education is being delivered in schools by a group that includes anti-abortion campaigners, it has been claimed.

But the organisation at the centre of the claims says there is no religious content in the lessons it gives.

Rushen MHK Dr Michelle Haywood told the House of Keys this week that some of those involved in delivering the Love Life programme in secondary schools had opposed the Abortion Act being brought in and ‘vowed to campaign against it’.

She made the claim in the House of Keys this week, when she asked Education Minister Julie Edge about the involvement of religious groups in the delivery of sex education and PSHE lessons.

The minister, who said there were safeguards against religious bias, confirmed: ‘Some personal, social, health and economic content ‒ PSHE ‒ at the request of individual schools may be delivered by outside agencies.

‘These arrangements are made between schools and those agencies and are designed to complement a broad and balanced PSHE curriculum and enhanced provision using the wider expertise available.’

Lessons delivered include Love Life, a programme offered by the Scripture Union Ministries Trust (SUMT) to year 10 and 12 pupils.

‘Love Life is a facilitated sex and relationships course offered to schools free of charge,’ said Ms Edge.

‘The material has been planned, practised and reviewed since 2012 and has been delivered to a consistently high standard to many year 10 and 12 students in that time.’

She added: ‘Whilst some lessons include the deliverance of facts around relationships and sex, much of the course is facilitating discussion, debate and engagement with students.’

There was an agreement between SUMT and the Education Department that content must be agreed in advance. ‘This agreement guards against any religious bias.’

But Dr Haywood pushed Ms Edge further. She asked: ‘Is the minister aware that some of the people involved in the Love Life programme have actually stated publicly quite extreme opinions including the intention to oppose the Abortion Act and has described the act as “inhumane” and vowed to campaign against it?

‘They are named people in the Love Life programme. What screening is done to ensure that actually their beliefs are not fed through into the classroom, so that they are not carrying through points of view that some of us would find completely unacceptable, onto young, professional children?’

Dr Haywood wanted to know what consent was sought from parents about their children receiving lessons from faith groups.

‘Parents have to sign various consent forms for various school activities and if faith groups teaching in PSHE lessons do not represent the beliefs of the child or the family, how is this managed?’ she asked.

Ms Edge reiterated that lesson content was screened in advance. Teachers would be aware of the programme and ‘on a number of occasions’ the parents could make that choice and liaise with the teacher.She urged Dr Haywood to contact her with details of specific concerns.

Douglas East MHK Joney Faragher said parents were being put in an impossible position about sessions supplied by a group ‘whose stated aim is evangelism’.

She added: ”Children who are removed from these school lessons and assemblies are not offered a substitute lesson or experience and often sit either alone in a room or with a teacher who is engaged in other activities and that does leave a parent in a quandary because the child does not want to do.’

Former teacher, Arbory, Castletown and Malew MHK Jason Moorhouse, tried to offer some reassurance. He said that such lessons were always delivered in a professional manner, with a teacher present, and some of the issues raised were better dealt with by a third party.

Ms Edge told MHKs about other programmes.

‘You Matter is a programme for year eight students, developed by the Love Life programme co-ordinator in consultation with DESC, supported by Graih and the IoM Constabulary,’ she said.

It allowed ‘young people to explore their identity and emotions, looking at who and what can influence their lives and help to stay safe in different situations, including relationships’.

She revealed the Education Department was also evaluating the impact of a new relationships and sex education framework guidance document for secondary schools, as well as working with primary heads and practitioners to review current provision and identify gaps in relationships and sex education guidance in primary schools.

Afterwards, Gef approached the Love Life team for a response to Dr Haywood’s comments.

Andrew Cole, chairman of the Love Life Advisory Group, confirmed that lesson content was checked in advance by the education department, both centrally and at each school.

‘Ms Edge also correctly referred to the DESC agreed guidelines for safeguarding the LL programme which are key to ensuring that there is no religious content in an LL lesson,’ he added.