Guidelines for primary school children as young as 5 to learn about same-sex relationships released by LGBT group
Stonewall, a group that campaigns for the equality of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people across Britain, has issued guidelines that would enable children as young as five years to learn about the LGBT community.
The new guidance issued by the group coincides with sex-ed and relationship classes set to begin in all primary schools across the United Kingdom from September 2020.
In addition, Stonewall has proposed that rainbow-colored flags — which already symbolizes the LGBT community — be used to teach children the meaning of the colors, according to a Daily Mail report.
"Our new guide, Creating an LGBT-Inclusive Primary Curriculum, is a free voluntary resource for primary school teachers who want to make their classrooms inclusive and accepting of all young people," Stonewall said in a statement.
According to the guidelines by the group, not-so-subtle examples from the LGBT community should also be embedded in the curriculum, apart from the special classes.
Maths questions such as, "How many biscuits are left at Fatima and Shanika's wedding?" are among the suggestions put forward by the group. Another idea was to allow pupils aged seven and eight to study the Aids Memorial quilt in design and technology lessons.
It also required religious education lessons to include naming ceremonies for those who change gender.
According to Chief executive of Christian Concern, Andrea Williams, the guidance — sponsored by publisher Pearson and the Government Equalities Office — was actually a "manipulative agenda aimed brazenly at our youngest and most impressionable".
"This curriculum is deeply subversive. It should be scrapped," she said. Regardless of the criticism, the group believed that LGBT pupils are less likely to be bullied if all the schoolchildren are taught about the issues they face.
There are also a number of children who have been left disappointed in their schools for not learning about LGBT issues, the group claimed, citing a number of quotes from such children.
"The school did one assembly once. It kind of hurts that the school doesn't want to talk about it," 11-year-old Alexandra said, Stonewall reported. While parents can choose to exclude their children from the sex-ed classes, the relationship lessons are mandatory.