A top Catholic school is teaching kids that gay sex is wrong and men were created to ‘initiate sex’. In 2021
St Mary’s Roman Catholic High School in Lugwardine has been criticised for using a anti-LGBT+, misogynistic curriculum (Creative Commons: Fabian Musto)
A top UK Catholic state school has been slammed for teaching kids that gay sex is wrong via a “homophobic” and “unashamedly misogynistic” sex and relationships curriculum.
St Mary’s Roman Catholic High School in Lugwardine, Herefordshire, which operates under the Archdiocese of Cardiff, has adopted “A Fertile Heart”, a relationships and sex education (RSE) programme for Catholic and Christian schools.
The curriculum teaches children at the school that marriage should only be between a man and a woman, that they should remain “chaste” until they can give their body as a “gift” to their spouse, and that men were “created to initiate sexual relationships” while women are sexual “receiver-responders”.
The programme has been supported by George Stack, the Archbishop of Cardiff, who previously, ahead of the first ever same-sex marriages in England and Wales, signed a letter to say that equal marriage would have “harmful consequences for the health of society, family life, and human rights”.
Graeme Walker, a St Mary’s parent, told the Mirror: “The school is incredibly good at getting children to fulfil their potential but I have a big problem with A Fertile Heart.
“Not only are pupils taught that an out-dated and frankly homophobic view when it comes to same sex relationships, it’s also unashamedly misogynistic.”
Walker said he had raised his concerns with the school, which has been ranked as the best state school in Herefordshire.
“I fear my views have fallen on deaf ears,” he said. “Success has made the school managers blind to any criticism.”
Felicity Norman, Herefordshire Council’s children and families cabinet member, has called for the programme to be banned.
She said: “It seems to be at odds with the essential role of a school to foster caring and cooperative relations between all children and staff, to respect differences and to support and encourage children as they negotiate the difficulties of adolescence.
“We are disturbed at the failure of the Archdiocese of Cardiff, responsible for directing its schools as to what it teaches, to respond to us over this or other matters concerning the safeguarding of children, in spite of attempts on our part to engage with them.
“The local authority has no power over what schools under the Archdiocese of Cardiff choose to teach within Herefordshire.”
Commenting on the recent backlash, a spokesperson for the programme said: “A Fertile Heart has been created as a Catholic resource, designed to teach children RSHE (relationships, sex and health education) within Catholic and Christian schools.
“It is taught in line with the teachings of the Catholic Church and Pope Francis, guided by faith, reason, reflection and discussion and founded on the principles of love, equality, dignity, and tolerance…
“In no way does A Fertile Heart promote sexism, misogyny, homophobia, or any gender stereotypes. Discussions about relationships are wholly based on unity, dialogue and co-operation.”
LGBT-inclusive relationships and sex education (RSE) became mandatory for UK schools in September, 2020, with schools required to teach the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010 as they apply to relationships.
This means that every primary school child must learn about different types of families, including those with same-sex parents, and secondary school students must be taught about sexual orientation and gender identity.
OFSTED said previously: “Schools are at liberty to teach the tenets of any faith on the protected characteristics.
“For example, they may explain that same-sex relationships and gender reassignment are not permitted by a particular religion.
“However, if they do so, they must also explain the legal rights LGBT+ people have under UK law, and that this and LGBT+ people must be respected.”
