Sunday 8 September 2013

Parliamentarians & pro-family groups will "fiercely resist" Daily Telegraph sex education campaign

Yesterday's Daily Telegraph newspaper  published a joint letter by parliamentarians and civil society pro-family groups, who oppose the Daily Telegraph’s campaign to “bring sex education into the 21st Century”. The entire letter is reproduced below.

Commenting on the Daily Telegraph campaign, Antonia Tully (pictured), Coordinator of SPUC's Safe at School, said
“Any change to the sex education guidelines could be dangerous in the current climate of calls for the inclusion of pornography in sex education. The Sex Education Forum has published an online magazine showing teachers how to introduce children and teenagers to pornography. These lesson ideas are not about teaching children and teenagers about how to avoid pornography, but normalising it. The Daily Telegraph campaign is calling for so-called sex education "experts" to teach children.  It's time to recognise that parents are the experts when it comes to their own children. As readers will see, the joint letter is signed by a range of parliamentarians and pro-family groups, demonstrating the broad body of individuals and groups who are opposed parents being undermined. Safe at School  will fiercely resist the Daily Telegraph campaign”.  
Sir,

The “Telegraph Wonder Women” campaign to “bring sex education into the 21st century” by redrawing the official guidelines on teaching sex education, makes scant reference to parents.

 Any moves to redraw these guidelines must involve organisations which recognise parents as the primary educators of their children on sexual matters.  

Children and teenagers accessing online pornography is a problem which urgently needs to be addressed.  Parents have a vital role in teaching their children about how to avoid pornography. The government should be supporting parents in this task.

Current government guidelines on teaching sex education contains over 90 references to the importantance of involving parents in teaching children about sexual issues.  Any new guidelines should place the same emphasis on parents.

Yours faithfully,

Antonia Tully, SPUC Safe at School
Norman Wells, Family Education Trust
Colin Harte, Director, Christian Institute
The Lord Carey of Clifton
Philip Davies MP
Mary Glindon MP
Jim Shannon MP
Revd  Andrew Symes, Executive Secretary, Anglican Mainstream
Dr Chris Richards, MB BS FRCPCH, Lovewise
Professor David Paton, Nottingham University Business School
Dr Trevor Stammers FRCGP
Kathy Gyngell, Research Fellow, Centre for Policy Studies
James Wiltshire, Campaign to Protect Children
Dr Lisa Nolland
Yusuf Patel, SRE Islamic
Marie Peacock, Chair, Mothers at Home Matter
Edmund P Adamus, Director for Marriage & Family Life, Diocese of Westminster
Imam Sulaiman Gani
Tahera Ayazi, Tower Hamlets' Parents Action Group - SRE
Sue Relf, Challenge Team UK

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