Parents in Wales to lose right to remove children from sex education classes

‘It’s an anomaly that pupils can be prevented from attending subjects,’ minister says

Plans to make relationships education compulsory in England has sparked protests outside primary schools (PA)

Parents’ right to remove children from relationships and sexuality education (RSE) classes in Welsh schools could be scrapped under government plans.

Families could also be stopped from taking pupils out of religious education (RE) lessons by the Welsh government.

It comes as protests against LGBT+ lessons continue to take place outside schools in Birmingham.

Kirsty Williams, education minister in Wales, said she was minded to ensure all young people are required to study RE and RSE in the new curriculum – which will be LGBT+ inclusive.

“It has always been an anomaly that children could be prevented from attending certain subjects,” Ms Williams said.

In a consultation by the government earlier this year, more than four in five (88.7 per cent) of respondents said they wanted parents’ right to withdraw children from lessons to be retained.

Some respondents suggested home schooling could increase if the right was removed.

The Welsh government has launched an eight-week consultation on the plans.

Relationships education in primary schools and sex education in secondary schools will become compulsory in England from 2020.

The announcement prompted a widespread campaign against the plans - including protests at two primary schools in Birmingham

But parents in England will retain the right to withdraw children from sex education until the age of 15.

The Welsh government is also proposing to change the name of RE to "Religions and Worldviews".

Kathy Riddick, coordinator of Wales Humanists, welcomed the move to include different religions and humanism in RE.

But she called for parents’ right to remove children from RE to remain.

“We have grave concerns about parents losing their right to withdraw their children from RE in faith schools where they could be subjected to a heavy-handed religious instruction that enforces a particular faith-based perspective,” she said.