Chantel Brink

Chantel Brink

June 3, 2024

Father outraged over compulsory sex education lessons, pulls daughter from school

A father in the UK has decided to remove his daughter from the primary school she was attending due to the sex education she was receiving. After weeks of being denied access, Michael Doherty, a 50-year-old resident of Suffolk, was finally granted the opportunity to view the teaching materials meant for his nine-year-old daughter at Thurston Primary School. To his surprise, what he saw left him in shock.

These sex education classes were instated three years ago, and it has been revealed that children as young as nine are being subject to rather graphic materials. These teaching materials are mandatory in schools across the UK. The lesson plans which were recently withheld indicate that children are being taught about orgasms and even anal sex in the fourth grade, including his daughter Sofia.

Michael Doherty is outraged at the discovery of the UK's current sex education program being taught in schools
DailyMail

When objecting to the sex education system, he was told that his religious stance did not matter. He was not to withdraw his daughter ‘because it is important that all children receive this content. Covering topics such as friendships and how to stay safe’. 

According to documents seen, the school justified its secretive approach by claiming that the Covid pandemic prevented them from sharing specific teacher materials with parents. However, they assured Mr. Doherty that they had consulted the parents during this time.

Adding to the concern, the headteacher’s letter to Mr. Doherty asserted that the school followed a national curriculum for PSHE relationships. But, in reality, no such national curriculum exists for this purpose.

Feeling excluded from the decision-making process, Mr. Doherty expressed his frustration. Believing that parents should be consulted on such sensitive matters. He perceived the school’s response as hostile and belittling, making him feel overly conservative.

Nonetheless, Mr. Doherty firmly believed in the importance of speaking up for parental rights and the well-being of the children involved. “I feel as a parent they were quite hostile to me. You’re treated like some sort of prude. But I think you need to speak up.” He continued.

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It doesn’t stop there

Mr. Doherty raised a serious objection when he learned that his daughter was shown a BBC Bitesize video. One depicted a boy experiencing a wet dream, getting an erection, and ejaculating. He found this content highly inappropriate for his daughter’s age and felt it unsuitable for children in her year group.

Upon filing a complaint with the BBC about the video, they took action and removed it from their website. However, when Mr. Doherty discussed the matter with his daughter’s RSE teacher, the teacher denied that the video had any sexual nature—claiming that his daughter’s year group was not being taught sex education.

This response further intensified Mr. Doherty’s concerns. As he believed the video’s content clearly fell under the category of sex education and should not have been presented to his daughter’s class, especially without proper consideration and parental consent. The situation highlighted the need for clear communication and transparency between schools and parents regarding sensitive topics like sex education.

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The father-of-three became concerned when primary school teachers said in an email they would be teaching Relationships and Sex Education to Sophia
DailyMail

Mr. Doherty was told by the class’s teacher that he would not be able to remove her from the class

Mr Doherty was told by the class's teacher that he would not be able to remove her from the class
DailyMail
The primary school teacher pointed him to a policy that said this was 'because it is important that all children receive this content, covering topics such as friendships and how to stay safe'
DailyMail

It’s really, really weird what’s going on in schools. Why is my daughter being shown a video of wet dreams? The teacher’s reason was so that when she’s an adult she doesn’t go ”eurgh” when she hears about wet dreams. It’s all very bizarre. It’s over-sexualization of children.” He said.

Mr. Doherty was deeply troubled to learn that the headmaster, the CEO, and the class’s teacher all considered the video suitable for a nine-year-old audience. This stance only heightened his concerns about the over-sexualization of children in schools. And the need for more appropriate content in the classroom when teaching sex education.

Furthermore, the teachers informed him that the teaching resources, including the questionable video, had been provided by an external charity called the PSHE Association. This revelation raised questions about the source and vetting process of the educational materials being introduced in the school.

The situation highlighted the importance of parental involvement in decisions about the educational content presented to young children, emphasizing the need for clear communication between schools, parents, and external organizations providing teaching resources.

Children are coming out of schools illiterate and they are doing this stuff. As a parent, it just feels wrong. The video is really strange and disgusting. It’s a really creepy and vile video. I don’t want my child to see a vile, disgusting video that [is] being pushed into primary schools. I have been vindicated because the BBC took the video off their site.” He continued.

The school's own policy says parents have a right to remove their child from sex education - but Sophia's teachers deemed what they were teaching her not to be sex education

According to the document below, the primary school cited the Covid pandemic as the reason for their inability to share specific teacher materials such as their sex education plan with parents

According to the document, the primary school cited the Covid pandemic as the reason for their inability to share specific teacher materials such as their sex education plan with parents
DailyMail

The school’s sex education plan is laid out below

Mr Doherty said the teachers told him that external charity the PSHE Association had provided them with teaching resources for the class.
DailyMail
A letter sent to Mr Doherty by the headteacher also claimed the school followed the national curriculum for PSHE relationships - however no such national curriculum exists
DailyMail
A letter sent to Mr Doherty by the headteacher also claimed the school followed the national curriculum for PSHE relationships - however no such national curriculum exists
DailyMail

Mr. Doherty revealed that the school lied about the start date of the classes. After confronting the headmaster, the academy CEO, and the RSE teacher, he attempted to remove his daughter from the school. Initially, the school refused his request. But with the local authority’s intervention, he was allowed to take her out.

As a result, Sophia will be spending the rest of the school year with her family in Poland. Mr. Doherty and his wife plan to find another primary school for her in September. If they cannot find one, they are prepared to homeschool her.

Since September 2020, Relationships Education has become compulsory in primary schools, and RSE is now mandatory in secondary schools. This change led to confusion among teaching staff, who sought guidance on the subject. In this void, some charities with unconventional views on biological sex filled the gap. Sharing material on their websites that references underage sex.

Mr. Doherty criticized the teaching of PSHE and RSE, describing it as a “sausage factory.” Where schools pay third parties like the PSHE Association (which lobbied for the subject’s compulsion) to access content that is then taught to children.

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Mr. Doherty continued

“School should be a safe place for education. Sadly we cannot trust the judgment of some school leaders. As for other parents, most are sadly ignorant of what is being shown to children in the school setting. Maybe if they were aware [of] the potential damage to their children, they would take the same steps as I did.” He said.

On Thursday, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan made an announcement stating that the government is delaying the release of its guidance for schools and colleges. This, in particular, refers to handling situations when a child is questioning their gender identity in sex education classes.

She acknowledged that this is a complex and sensitive subject. And that the government requires more information and understanding about the potential long-term implications of a child identifying as a gender different from their assigned sex at birth. As a result, the guidance’s release is being postponed until further research and considerations are made.

Sophia, who has a strong passion for horses, will be spending the remainder of the school year with her family in Poland.

Afterward, her parents, Mr. Doherty, and his wife, intend to find a new primary school for her when the new academic year starts in September. “We also need to take care to understand how such actions affect other children in the school or college. These decisions must not be taken lightly or in haste. It is vital that the guidance we publish gives clarity for schools and colleges and reassurance for parents.  So, we have made the decision to allow more time – to speak to teachers, parents, lawyers, and other stakeholders. In order to ensure this guidance meets the high expectations that these groups rightly have for it.” He said,

In the meantime, schools and colleges should proceed with extreme caution. They should always involve parents in decisions relating to their child, and should not agree to any changes that they are not absolutely confident are in the best interests of that child and their peers. They should prioritize safeguarding by meeting their existing legal duties to protect single-sex spaces and maintain safety and fairness in single-sex sport.” He continued.

A spokesperson from the Department for Education stated, “The safety and well-being of children and young people is our top priority.”

Following reports of inappropriate materials being used to teach relationships and sex education, the government has already brought forward an urgent review of the curriculum and is looking at introducing age ratings to make sure teaching materials are appropriate. The Education Secretary has also written to schools to reiterate that parents have a right to view teaching materials and copyright law does not prevent a parent from viewing external resources on school premises.” They ended.

According to a spokesperson for Thurston Church of England Primary Academy, the PSHE curriculum taught at the school adheres to the statutory guidance provided by the Department for Education’s policy on Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE), and Health Education.

“The curriculum follows the PSHE Association program of study – which is government-funded and quality assured by the educational body to ensure it meets statutory requirements. The BBC Bitesize video was included in the resources but has since been withdrawn by the BBC. The school will be reviewing its materials.”

A spokesperson for the PSHE Association said: “Parents‘ involvement in curriculum conversations should be welcomed, as high-quality PSHE education involves a partnership between parents and schools and transparency about materials being used. Regarding puberty, the government’s statutory Health Education guidance requires that all primary schools teach the “key facts about puberty and the changing adolescent body, particularly from age 9 through to age 11, including physical and emotional changes” and that this should occur before puberty starts.”

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Sources

  1. CLASS ACTION I took my daughter, 9, out of school because I was horrified by what she was being taught… it was disgusting.” The Sun UK. Tom Hussey. July 22, 2023
  2. Christian father removes his nine-year-old daughter from school after being horrified by what she was being taught in compulsory sex education lessons.” Daily Mail. Chris Matthews. July 22, 2023