| SPOTLIGHT |
Police were called to restore order at a meeting of Gwynedd Council after protests in the public gallery over a new sex education curriculum in Wales.
A special meeting of the Plaid Cymru controlled council had been called by six members of the Independent opposition after concerns were raised by campaign group Public Child Protection Wales (PCPW) that the new curriculum - which is Wales-wide and not specific to Gwynedd - dealt with subjects inappropriate for young children.
Campaigners in May secured High Court permission for a judicial review in which Mr Justice Turner said they had raised “complex constitutional issues with potentially very significant consequences for both parents and children”.
He said the response by the Welsh Government “although not without force” had not been “so obviously determinative of the issues as to justify refusal of permission”.
Jeremy Miles, Minister for Education and Welsh Language, said in a statement that he wanted to provide “factually accurate information to clarify some of the claims reported in the media which seek to disrupt the rollout of the new Curriculum for Wales”.
Mr Miles said he could not comment on live judicial review proceedings but said: “We remain confident our reforms are proportionate and lawful.
“A number of these claimants are linked to a particular campaign group. I want to be very clear that the claims made by these individuals and by this group in its literature have absolutely no basis in truth whatsoever.”
Mr Miles said the core of the claims was that the new curriculum was “part of a co-ordinated ‘global rollout’ of ‘comprehensive sexuality education’ which it is claimed will sexualise children. That is profoundly wrong and is a deeply dangerous claim.”
The youngest children would learn about friendships and families, and “they will absolutely not be taught about romantic or sexual relationships”.
Mr Miles said he supported the right to protest, but criticised the tactics "this group is using to put pressure on people working in our local authorities and our schools”.
PCPW said when the judicial review was granted that the new curriculum “includes sex education down to age three, the denial of parental withdraw, and the promotion of Trans ideology”.
It added: “Campaigners, including parents of gay and lesbian children, and Trans-parents, stress they are not against safeguarding or age-appropriate biology being taught. They also fully support minority rights in terms of welfare and freedom of choice.”
Mark Smulian
