Pupils should learn about same-sex couples, Ofsted says

As reported by the BBC, Ofsted’s chief inspector has spoken out about anti-LGBT teaching protest to state that all pupils should learn about same-sex couples

Following recent news stories surrounding the teaching of LGBT sex education in schools, the head of Ofsted – Amanda Spielman – has spoken out to say that discussion of same-sex couples is something pupils need.

Hundreds of parents recently set up a protest outside of a Birmingham school against it teaching about gender identify and LGBT issues.

Spielman, in response, told the BBC that such knowledge is crucial to children and young people.

Protestors have complained that Andrew Moffat, who started teaching lessons about same-sex couples at the Birmingham school, has been “promoting personal beliefs and convictions about universal acceptability of homosexuality as being normal and morally correct”.

But Spielman defending Moffat, saying that the lessons were “about making sure they [children] know just enough to know that some people prefer not to get married to somebody of the opposite sex and that sometimes there are families that have two mummies or two daddies”.

“It’s about making sure that children who do happen to realise that they themselves may not fit a conventional pattern know that they’re not bad or ill.”

She added that there needs to be a “careful exploration of the middle ground” but lessons covering LGBT topics were important.

Spielman added that the lessons in question are less about sex education and more about understanding differences in society.

“The essence of democracy is that we don’t all get our way,” she said.

“We accept majority decision which means there will always be things that some of us don’t like, but that is the very essence of it – accepting that we can’t have 100% of what we want.”

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