Call to action for parents with regards RSE education

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The sexualisation of our children appears to be proceeding apace, with the WHO-driven agenda having reached Northern Ireland. Despite the fact that 73% of the public opposed changes to the Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) curriculum in the official consultation, and there has been opposition from churches, and several political parties, our leaders seem determined to press ahead. The recent Eurovision song contest and the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games should tell you where we are.

Last year, in the absence of the devolved government, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland introduced secondary legislation imposing amendments to the RSE curriculum.

Following this, the process is that the Department of Education (NI) issued a directive to the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations & Assessment, setting out the broad content of the amendments, and the Northern Ireland Executive, at the instigation of the Alliance Party, recently voted to extend the teaching of the amended RSE curriculum without a Bill. Many Primary Schools appear to be pressing ahead, despite no clear guidance from the Department of Education.

In light of the ongoing threats to children from this imposition of RSE teaching that fundamentally, not only is questionable as to the legality of teaching explicit and politically motivated worldviews, but, goes against core biblical principles of teaching children in accordance with God’s Word, the Free Presbyterian Church issues the following statement:

That the imposition of the new RSE directives for schools has launched sustained assaults on so many points of God’s moral law for mankind is a painfully obvious fact.

To present abortion as a viable alternative to the birth of a child and, in order to deflect from the savagery of the act of slaughtering that unborn child in it’s mother’s womb, to employ such deceptive euphemisms as ‘healthcare’ – is to violate – and that viciously – God’s plain command, “Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy 5:17).
To promote LGBT lifestyles as moral and beneficial equivalents to the biblical order – a person from each of the two created genders, one man with one woman in a lasting marital union – is a demonstrable breaking of God’s commandment, “Thou shalt not bear false witness” (Exodus 20:16; Romans 1:18-32).
To interfere with a parent and child relationship and, in the case of a 15-year-old pupil, to make the parents’ right to withdraw his child from what he understands to be deviant teaching dependant on the consent of his child is to directly challenge God’s command to, “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee … Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right” (Exodus 20:12; Ephesians 6:1).

Out of respect for God’s laws and for the benefit of all His creatures, we in the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster call on all parents to:

inquire as to what elements of RSE are being taught in the school their child attends
withdraw their child from this aberrant instruction
resist every effort to relegate the right of the parent by putting it on a par with that of their child.

It is only when we reject the wicked indoctrination of all bodies that have long since lost their moral compass and return to God’s prescriptions for healthy and holy living that our nation will have any hope of the spiritual and ethical renewal it so evidently needs (2 Chronicles 7:14; Proverbs 14:34).

Therefore this Presbytery:

encourages parents to exercise their rights and withdraw their children from these objectionable elements of RSE (there is a requirement on the Department of Education to make regulations providing for the circumstances in which, at the request of a parent, a pupil may be excused from receiving instruction on these elements we find objectionable);
asks parents to familiarise themselves with the specific elements that must be mentioned in any letter of withdrawal if they choose not to use the template provided (the official template is provided below);
strongly objects to the evident restriction of parental rights in the case of 15-year-olds (pupils in year 12).

PROPOSED TEMPLATE FOR USE BY A PARENT REQUESTING THAT A PUPIL BE EXCUSED FROM ARTICLE 5(1A) EDUCATION OR A SPECIFIED ELEMENT OF IT

To the Principal of [Name of School/College/EOTAS Centre]

For pupils in Year 8, 9, 10 and 11:

I am writing to request that my son/daughter [Name] who is a pupil in Year [x] at your school be excused from “age-appropriate, comprehensive or scientifically accurate education on sexual and reproductive health and rights, covering prevention of early pregnancy and access to abortion” or the specified element or elements of it as set out below. I can confirm that this education is contrary to my wishes.

Please tick as appropriate:

[ ] Prevention of early pregnancy

[ ] Access to abortion

[Name of parent]

[Date]

For pupils in Year 12:

I am writing to request that my son/daughter [Name] who is a pupil in Year 12 at your school be excused from “age-appropriate, comprehensive or scientifically accurate education on sexual and reproductive health and rights, covering prevention of early pregnancy and access to abortion” or the specified element or elements of it as set out below. I can confirm that this education is contrary to my wishes. I can confirm that [Name of pupil] has not objected to being excused.