Thread by @NoSecretLessons

🧵Thread on the @educationgovuk RSHE Review 🧵

An online conference has been convened by the Westminster Education Forum to discuss “the next steps for RSHE” as part of the RSHE Review, brought forward by @RishiSunak

westminsterforumprojects.co.uk/conference/RSH…

The Chair is @LordLucasCD and keynote speakers include:
- Paula Penny, Head of RSHE and Citizenship Policy Unit, DfE
- Dr Polly Haste, Subject Lead for PSHE, RSHE and Citizenship, Ofsted
- Jenny Barksfield, Dep Chief Exec Officer and Principal Subject Specialist, PSHE Association

@LordLucasCD So, it seems that in this element of the Review, the same people, roles and organisations who gave us the unfolding disaster of the 2019 RSE Guidance will be marking their own homework.

@LordLucasCD The conference description communicates a routine, ‘business as usual’ approach, and employs the typically slippery and vague speak I have come to associate with DfE missives, which belies the radical ideology that tends to underpin it:

@LordLucasCD e.g. “Delegates will look at key issues with implementation of the current curriculum, now compulsory in England’s primary and secondary schools since 2021…”
‘…key issues with implementation…’?!
What a splendid understatement given that resources like these abound in schools👇

@LordLucasCD And these...

@LordLucasCD

@LordLucasCD The conference will also “discuss the DfE’s recently announced Independent Expert Panel review, which will assess the current content of the RSHE, how protection can be put in place to ensure children understand what they are being taught, and how age ratings can be introduced"

@LordLucasCD Isn’t that a neat twist?! ‘protection will be put in place’ - not to stop misleading gender theory + sexualising material reaching kids, but only to ‘ensure children understand what they are being taught’ as if it was merely lost in translation or a failure of pupils to ‘get it’.

@LordLucasCD Essentially the DfE gives no sign of recognition that the 2019 RSE Guidance has caused an urgent safeguarding problem in schools and that some of the material is not just being taught too young, but is inherently indoctrinating and should never be put in front of children at all.

@LordLucasCD E.g. how are children supposed to ever understand the scientifically inaccurate Gender Unicorn? And what is the age rating for being told you might be born in the wrong body?

@LordLucasCD And when is the right time for teachers to ask children to discuss masturbation in front of the class or to leave links to adult porn sites in the path of children?

@LordLucasCD The other speakers at the conference are further illuminating of the DfE’s future vision for RSHE and seem to indicate that they are in denial about the horrendous mess they have made - or are purposefully doubling down. The speakers include:

@LordLucasCD Matilda Lawrence-Jubb:
Some might recall that Split Banana is the ‘sex positive’ RSE provider who signposted children to a website created by a porn director called Erika Lust (which in three live links from Split Banana’s site reached her porn channel).

@LordLucasCD They also claimed there is “a lot of great feminist porn out there” and that teachers should help kids “build up their critical eye”.

@LordLucasCD One might also question whether Split Banana’s teaching is sufficiently politically impartial to adhere to the Education Act s406/407. For example they describe the following politicised approach, including exploring the "links between the gender binary and colonialism":

@LordLucasCD On the subject of gender ideology, they state that “not all men have penises” and “not all women have vaginas” and that they are lobbying for the DfE’s term of ‘LGBT’ to be expanded to include ‘QIA+’. And that LGBTQIA+ RSE should be featured in History, Science and Geography too.

@LordLucasCD On the subject of virginity they advise that "its about time we cancel [it]"

@LordLucasCD They also present personal info about their directors, which children can access. e.g. one founder explains she is now polyamorous and watches programmes about how to build your own sex room. Does broadcasting this on an educational website meet professional teacher standards?

@LordLucasCD This was all noted in the NSCU report commissioned by Miriam Cates MP, whose concerns triggered the RSHE Review in the first place. But has this made the DfE think twice about engaging Split Banana as the expert speaker on third party delivery of RSHE in schools? Clearly not.

@LordLucasCD Also speaking is Laura Murphy, Associate of law firm Browne Jacobson:
The firm has a clearly partisan policy on LGBTQIA+ issues, signposting to Stonewall and Gendered Intelligence, and Laura Murphy is a member of the company’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee:

@LordLucasCD They instructed schools as follows: “Do not automatically treat pupils who identify as transgender or non-binary as a safeguarding issue.” And they have strong views on the importance of the political theory of 'Intersectionality'.

@LordLucasCD But is it acceptable for @educationgovuk to invite what seems to be ideologically driven legal advice to influence the RSHE Review?

@LordLucasCD @educationgovuk Another speaker, Julie Greer, is introduced as a former Headteacher, but it seems she also works with the mental health charity Anna Freud, which signposts to the following resources on Gender Identity:

@LordLucasCD @educationgovuk I note that under the conference heading of ‘potential additional areas of content’ for RSHE, the DfE has earmarked ‘suicide prevention’ as the next focus of what increasingly seems like an institutional Munchausens-by-Proxy syndrome...

@LordLucasCD @educationgovuk Whilst no one would doubt the importance of the objective, who feels confident that the DfE/third sector team that brought us ‘gender identity’ and ‘secret social transitions’ are the right people to navigate suicide prevention lessons?

@LordLucasCD @educationgovuk Meanwhile, Professor Catherine Donovan, Head of Dept of Sociology, University of Durham, brings the following expertise to the party:

@LordLucasCD @educationgovuk And Internet Matters will also provide a speaker.
Purportedly helping people keep children safe online, this company takes the fashionably morally equivocal approach to kids seeing porn and signpost to the dubious US resource of ‘Amaze’, specifically this educational cartoon.

@LordLucasCD @educationgovuk For LGBTQ+ issues, Internet Matters signpost to Stonewall and NSPCC guidance on gender ideology:

@LordLucasCD @educationgovuk And they also promote this curious scheme: 'Digital Passports' for ‘care experienced’ children and their foster carers. 🤔
Whilst apparently well meaning, it also normalises the concept of having a digital ID and being under surveillance, which is surely problematic?

@LordLucasCD @educationgovuk I note Internet Matters has many Big Charity and Big Tech partners.

internetmatters.org/wp-content/upl…

@LordLucasCD @educationgovuk In short, it seems that the DfE think they can carry on curating an authoritatian, gender ideological, ‘sex positive’, third sector dominated, 'TQIA+', EduTech RSHE curriculum for our children.

@LordLucasCD @educationgovuk But does the DfE really think this kind of line up can possibly recover parental trust? And do @gilliankeegan and @rishisunak think this Review is good enough for British families?

@LordLucasCD @educationgovuk @GillianKeegan @RishiSunak I note that the conference anticipates discussing parents ‘concerns surrounding teaching methods, content, and cultural and religious sensitivities’...

@LordLucasCD @educationgovuk @GillianKeegan @RishiSunak I think someone needs to explain to the DfE that it is not a ‘sensitivity’ (cultural, religious or otherwise) for parents to want the DfE to halt their frankly deluded child indoctrination programmes. It is just common sense. And we don't need 'managing' to think otherwise.

@LordLucasCD @educationgovuk @GillianKeegan @RishiSunak Lastly, I'd like to direct all of this information to the conference Chair @LordLucasCD and ask him if he believes this is a suitable event to ensure the future safeguarding of children from sexualisation and indoctrination in RSHE, and one which he is content to preside over?