“Queer Theory is an academic field of study that aims to dismantle accepted social norms. This may not seem immediately concerning. However in this field any idea can be – and is – challenged, including the idea that children should not be sexually active.” #CurriculumForWales
“Queer Theory challenges boundaries that are put in place to preserve ‘oppressive’ ideas such as the importance of child safeguarding. This academic discussion is not something that should be allowed to direct the way schools teach children.” #CurriculumForWales#RSE#edutwitter
“This new #RSE Code was chiefly designed by two academics who subscribe to queer theory, EJ Renold and Ester McGeeney. The Code is based on the idea that queer theory should make its way into the classroom as part of the ‘perpetual revolution’.” #CurriculumForWales
“Prior to the final version of the Code, two major preparatory documents were written up to justify their changing of the curriculum content and its title from ‘sex’ to ‘sexuality’. These documents contain no testable hypotheses or evidence-based research.” #CurriculumForWales
“The resources support the idea that children are sexual beings from birth. A tool intended to indicate sexual abuse in minors is used to justify this notion. Any challenge to this is dismissed as ‘protectionist’, homophobic & ‘right wing’.” #CurriculumForWales#SafeguardingFail
“The resources make reference to ‘The Good Sex Project’, in which McGeeney cites Gayle Rubin’s ‘Charmed Circle’:.. ‘erotic injustice’ is discussed in relation to the fact that children are prevented from engaging in certain sexual activities such as ‘cross-generational sex’” #RSE
“The #RSE resources are linked to CRUSH & AGENDA which, in turn, link to BISH & The Proud Trust. BISH’s “Planet Porn” resource is currently available for schools to purchase. This presents pornography as economically liberating for women, [&] anti-racist.” #CurriculumForWales
“Where does an approach to seeing children as sexual beings end? The academic Jacob Breslow uses it to argue that sex between adults and children is not intrinsically wrong or bad for the child.” #CurriculumWales#RSE@EstynHMI
“He defines “queer children.” as ones that “display interest in sex generally… in same-sex erotic attachments, or in cross-generational attachments.” Breslow spoke at a conference in 2011 suggesting that paedophiles did not need to gain consent from a child to have sex with “it”
“The curriculum & resources do not recognise basic #safeguarding principles & practice; They reframe indicators of abuse as indicators of sexuality; They frame children’s access to and engagement with pornography as a digital right, rather than a source of serious harm. @EstynHMI
“They indicate a need for “specialist” third parties (i.e. strangers) to discuss sex & sexuality with children; They imply that it may be justifiable for an adult to keep secrets with a child, which goes against fundamental child #safeguarding principles.” @EstynHMI#RSE#WomenEd
“They present children with sexual content & images & encourage them to consider normal developmental behaviour & self-exploration as sexually motivated. This normalises sexual activity for & among children.” @EstynHMI@WG_Education#CurriculumForWales#RSE#SafeguardingFail
“There is a complete lack of reference to male/female, boy/girl & instead reference, only to ‘identities’; Sex is redefined to exclude male & female & instead describe them as genders from a spectrum with which one must identify, separate from sex.” @EstynHMI@WG_Education#RSE
“The Code recommends that #RSE content & approach be left entirely to the discretion & control of #SEN staff. This leaves disabled learners open to ideological teaching by staff who believe they are educating & informing learners. @EstynHMI@childcomwales#CurriculumForWales
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. @BrookCharity was one of 100 organisations to sign a letter objecting to @Conservatives & @educationgovuk attempts to safeguard children from their damaging & dangerous #RSE resources. We have previously raised concerns about many of the signatories. rshe.uk
@BrookCharity @Conservatives @educationgovuk The letter to @educationgovuk objecting to attempts to introduce safeguards to #RSE materials has been signed by @barnardos. We have previously critiqued their resources for a lack of safeguarding. #Edutwitter #WomenEd #SafeguardingFail safeschoolsallianceuk.net/sdm_downloads/…
‘ “My recommendation as @ChildrensComm is that we need a #SafeguardingFirst approach to #RSHE & that is the way through this current impasse that seems to be in place because of very polarised views to how sex education should be taught.’
We are pleased to see @Rachel_deSouza finally agree with us. We have been advocating for the importance of safeguarding first #RSE for a very long time, perhaps now she will meet with us to discuss this? #Edutwitter #WomenEd
. @Rachel_deSouza says “I cannot see that anybody would think that children shouldn’t be taught the basics of sex education & how to keep themselves safe.” Nor can we Rachel, with the caveat that #safeguarding is an adult responsibility that should never be abdicated to children.
But that’s not what this is about, is it @Rachel_deSouza? When we have spoken to parents who tell us they’re against #RSE, discussion reveals that actually they have no concerns with their children being taught things such as puberty & reproduction. Their objections are to unscientific & anti #safeguarding materials that have been allowed to flood an unregulated market. Profit should have never been allowed to trump child protection. #Edutwitter #WomenEd
We agree with family law barrister @SVPhillimore. Breaching a child’s confidentiality on TV is unacceptable. We would like to read the judgement in full, but if that would also expose an individual child, it should not be published. We always prioritise #safeguarding children.
We have been made aware of this blog. All at Safe Schools Alliance find these views abhorrent. That does not mean he should not be allowed to express them. However, conflating gay & non-marital sex with rape & paedophilia is a #safeguarding concern. joshuasutcliffe.com/homosexuality
We have sent this independent report to press, peers, think tanks, @victor_madrigal at @UN & @Commonswomequ. We encourage you to read & send to your own schools, MPs & local safeguarding boards. We warn you it’s a difficult read. #SafeguardingFail#PolicyFail
Quote for press is: Tanya Carter Spokeswoman for Safe Schools Alliance said “This alarming, but sadly unsurprising, research sets out how long-established child safeguarding principles are being effectively dismantled. This leaves all children at risk…
Adults, professionally charged with the protection of children, have failed in their duty to identify this and this abdication of responsibility has left generations of children at risk of harm. Children are being left to navigate a minefield of predatory behaviour online…
Thread for ‘but is this happening in schools’ #Edutwitter. Yes it is. Firstly personal testimony: “the school nurse had referred her to the school counsellor [who] informed [her] that a hatred of one’s breasts could be an indicator of a non-binary” safeschoolsallianceuk.net/our-stories/ou…
More testimony: “I am utterly horrified at what was taught at a PSHE lesson at my school recently. It was to a group of children, most are 11-12 years old. It is so, so much worse than I thought.” #Edutwitter#DiverseEd#LGBT
More personal testimony: “We did request to see their transgender policy and it was kafkaesque – it repeatedly conflated sex & gender… & downplayed the effects of binders, blockers and hormones” #Edutwitter#WomeEd#PSHEPeeps
. @BrookCharity is one of the providers we frequently hear complaints about from both parents & teachers. Advising children to watch porn is not what they were expecting from #RSE. They want children taught about harms & how to have a healthy relationships as adults. #edutwitter