This is from todays Courier: It was their front page story…it was good to get such a positive and clear summary of my views reported:
A MINISTER is leading the fight against proposals to make sex education mandatory at Scottish schools.
The Free Church of Scotland yesterday attacked a petition at the Scottish Parliament calling for primary school children to be given mandatory lessons on abortion, rape and sexuality in the classroom.
Leading minister the Rev David Robertson described the petition as a “Trojan horse” and argued that the Sexpression UK lobbying group was attempting to “indoctrinate” pupils with their own particular sexual ethics.
The Dundee minister added Sexpression’s philosophy “has continually proved itself unable to prevent sexual harm, disease and disaster.”
Mr Robertson, who is also director of the Solas Centre for Public Christianity, said: “On the surface, Sexpression’s concerns seem justified and their solutions reasonable.
“However, in reality it is a Trojan horse which will be used to indoctrinate our children into the particular sexual ethics and philosophy which Sexpression regard as right.
“In their absolutist beliefs, they will not allow differences of opinion and instead they insist that every child should be indoctrinated into their philosophy — a philosophy which has continually proved itself unable to prevent sexual harm, disease and disaster.
“We would regard it as an absolute breach of human rights, for children to be ‘ educated’ in a particular sexual philosophy, which is contrary to the wishes of their parents.”
This was the story on the centre pages-
CONCERNS HAVE been raised that a proposal to have issues such as abortion and homosexuality enshrined on the school curriculum will be used to “indoctrinate” children with sexual ethics that their parents may object to.
The Scottish Parliament has taken forward a petition by sex education lobbyist Sexpression: UK calling on MSPs to take the near unprecedented step of using the law to compel schools to provide sex and relationship education (SRE).
Discussions about domestic violence, rape, assault and child abuse should be compulsory from a young age, Sexpression: UK spokeswoman Rebecca Ryce told Holyrood’s Public Petitions Committee.
Children could be asked to imagine the difficulties they would face if they brought home a same-sex partner or discuss whether abortion is appropriate, she added.
Conservative MSP Jackson Carlaw raised concerns that a child who objected to the statutory “received wisdom” would be told that they are wrong.
The Free Church of Scotland said such a regime would be “an absolute breach of human rights”.
Mr Carlaw said: “My concern is that when it becomes part of the statutory curriculum there is a received wisdom as to what is correct.”
Ms Ryce said the curriculum would be split into factual information about issues such as sexually transmitted infections and the effectiveness of contraception, and discussion points on subjective topics.
“I do not think that teachers should be told to preach any sort of ideology at all — it should be more about facilitating discussion,” she said.
“Discussions about domestic violence, rape, assault and child abuse should definitely be brought up in schools from a young age.”
After the committee, Free Church of Scotland minister the Rev David Robertson said: “On the surface Sexpression’s concerns seem justified and their solutions reasonable.
“However, in reality it is a trojan horse which will be used to indoctrinate our children into the particular sexual ethics and philosophy which Sexpression regard as right.”
The committee agreed to take forward the petition and seek further advice from the Scottish Government health and education departments, and look at international best-practice on SRE.