JOHN SMEATON, DIRECTOR OF SPUC: Safe at School condemns government plans on alleged homophobic bullying

Wednesday, 29 October 2014

Safe at School condemns government plans on alleged homophobic bullying

Nicky Morgan (centre) with Luke Tryl, her special advisor and gay activist

SPUC's Safe at School campaign has condemned plans to sink £2 million into dealing with alleged homophobic bullying in schools.

See "Government to fund campaign to stamp out anti-gay bullying in schools", Telegraph, 29 October 2014 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/11193812/Government-to-fund-campaign-to-stamp-out-anti-gay-bullying-in-schools.html)

Safe at School supports parents who object to inappropriate sex education.

Antonia Tully of Safe at School told the media earlier today:

"Tax-paying parents will soon become aware that their money is actually being spent on the promotion of homosexuality. This has certainly been the experience of parents at Welford Primary School in Birmingham, who are protesting against the introduction of a teaching programme named Challenging Homophobia in Primary Schools (CHIPS). CHIPS was introduced without any parental consultation and many parents in the school are worried sick about what their children are being taught."

The CHIPS programme includes getting six and seven year-old children to design a dress for a "princess boy", getting little girls of six to role play lesbian mothers, and showing 10-11 year old children a news report about a transgender six year-old. See the related press release Birmingham parents call on Council to get CHIPS out of their school A review of CHIPS can be read online.

The stress on homophobic bullying could result in other incidents of bullying being overlooked. In 2012 Ofsted brought out a report: "No place for bullying" http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/no-place-for-bullying This report placed a great emphasis on homophobic bullying. Yet in Ofsted's sample of 1,060 pupils, children and teenagers spoke of being bullied for being too clever, having a learning disability, being too fat and wearing glasses, among other things. Ofsted could only find three primary school and five secondary school pupils seemingly bullied over sexuality.

Antonia concluded:

"We're advising parents to insist that any advice given by the new government-funded advisers does not indoctrinate children or undermine parents."

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About Me

I became involved in SPUC after graduating, when I established a branch in south London in 1974. I have worked full-time for SPUC for 42 years. I became chief executive of SPUC in the UK in 1996, having been general secretary since 1978. I was elected vice-president of International Right to Life Federation in 2005. At UN conferences in Cairo, Copenhagen, Beijing, Istanbul and Rome, I helped coordinate more than 150 pro-life/pro-family groups resulting in pro-life victories in Cairo, Istanbul and Rome. I was educated at Salesian College, London, before going to Oxford where I graduated in English Language and Literature. I qualified as a teacher, becoming head of English at a secondary school. I am married to Josephine. We have a grown-up family and we live in north London.