The majority of Britons believe that children should be taught that people can identify as a gender other than male or female, a new poll has revealed, just days after the Government announced it would ban sex education for kids under nine.
The official guidance, the Government said, follows "multiple reports of disturbing materials being used in Relationships, Sex, and Health Education (RSHE) lessons", and states "the contested theory of gender identity will not be taught".
But polling by YouGov has revealed a majority of Britons - and a two-thirds majority of parents - think teaching kids about trans or "non-binary" gender identities should be permitted in schools.
The survey asked the British public at what age they thought it right for schools to cover various sex education topics with pupils - or whether they should be covered at all.
Rishi Sunak and Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said the new guidance would "support" teachers, parents and schools
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"One in five (21 per cent) think that teaching about gay and bisexual people should begin before Year Five, and 20 per cent said grooming should be covered before then as well.
"In fact, in pretty much all cases, where adults think a concept should be covered in sex education, the most common point from which they say that should take place is Year Seven."
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YouGov said "few Britons" felt that any of the topics pollsters asked about should be taught before Year Five
Getty
The survey, which polled 2,003 British adults, found that the following percentages of Britons thought these topics should be taught in schools:
- 60 per cent - That people can be non-binary or identify as a gender other than male or female.
- 61 per cent - That people can be transgender or change their gender identity.
- 68 per cent - Explicit discussions of sexual acts.
- How to stay safe, including "appropriate boundaries" and how to report concerns, at 92 per cent.
- Contraception, at 92 per cent.
- Basic facts of conception and birth, at 93 per cent.
Speaking about the new guidance, Rishi Sunak said: "Parents rightly trust that when they send their children to school, they are kept safe and will not be exposed to disturbing content that is inappropriate for their age. That's why I was horrified to hear reports of this happening in our classrooms last year.
"I will always act swiftly to protect our children and this new guidance will do exactly that, while supporting teachers to teach these important topics sensitively and giving parents access to curriculum content if they wish."
While Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said: "This updated guidance puts protecting children at its heart, and enshrines parents' right to know what their children are being taught.
"It will support schools with how and when to teach often difficult and sensitive topics, leaving no doubt about what is appropriate to teach pupils at every stage of school.
"Parents can be reassured once and for all their children will only learn age-appropriate content."
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