A new YouGov survey for the Jewish Chronicle has found the vast majority of the public agreeing that state-funded ‘faith’ schools should not ‘be allowed to refrain from any form of sex education in lessons’ (82% to 9%), and disagreeing with ‘the idea that faith schools should be allowed to teach creationism — “that the world was created in broadly its present form by God”’ (67% to 18%). The British Humanist Association (BHA) has welcomed the findings of the survey, which has been conducted in the wake of Ofqual and awarding bodies together agreeing that no school should be allowed to censor exam questions for religious reasons. Last year Yesodey Hatorah Senior Girls’ School, a state funded Charedi school in Hackney, was found to have censored GCSE science questions.
BHA Faith Schools Campaigner Richy Thompson commented, ‘We welcome the findings of this survey, reflecting the view that this is not a question of religious freedom but of the fundamental right, as enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, of young people to basic knowledge about science. Evolution is overwhelmingly supported by the scientific consensus, with huge amounts of evidence in support of it and no reliable evidence against it. It is a central topic in biology and is core to understanding how humankind came to be.
‘Similarly, it is vital that every young person receives full and comprehensive sex and relationships education as the evidence shows that it is this that leads to the best outcomes in terms of sexual health, consent, and preventing unwanted pregnancies and abortions. Sex education does not make young people more promiscuous, but simply ensures that when people have sex it is more likely to be safe and consensual. Those who oppose such education are in fact achieving the opposite of what they hope to.’
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For further comment or information, please contact Richy Thompson at richy@humanists.uk or on 020 7324 3072.
Read the Jewish Chronicle’s article: http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/117450/faith-schools-must-teach-sex-say-82
Read the ‘Teach evolution, not creationism!’ statement, coordinated by the BHA, from 30 scientists including Sir David Attenborough, Professor Richard Dawkins, Sir Paul Nurse and Professor Michael Reiss, the Association for Science Education, the British Science Association, the Campaign for Science and Engineering and Ekklesia at http://evolutionnotcreationism.org.uk/
Read more about the BHA’s campaigns work on countering creationism: https://humanists.uk/campaigns/religion-and-schools/countering-creationism
Read more about the BHA’s campaigns work on sex and relationships education: https://humanists.uk/campaigns/schools-and-education/school-curriculum/pshe-and-sex-and-relationships-education/
The British Humanist Association is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people who seek to live ethical and fulfilling lives on the basis of reason and humanity. It promotes a secular state and equal treatment in law and policy of everyone, regardless of religion or belief.