Proposed Mandatory LGBT Education in Scotland Would Violate Parents' Rights & Put Teachers' Jobs in Jeopardy
Pro-LGBT group Time for Inclusive Education (TIE) has launched a petition demanding that children as young as five learn about homosexual, bisexual and transgender issues, and this week it addressed the Scottish Parliament’s Public Petitions Committee.
Rev. David Robertson, moderator of the Free Church of Scotland, called it a "Trojan horse to impose an ideological perspective on all pupils," and said "an LGBT education would violate the human rights of Christian parents". "Human rights legislation says that 'the State shall respect the right of parents to ensure such education and teaching in conformity with their own religious and philosophical convictions. The petitioner's demand for statutory teaching of such topics without provision for parents and pupils who disagree is in direct conflict with this legislation," he said. The Christian Institute said the proposal would force Christian teachers "to have to choose between their faith and their job." "This motion is itself an act of intolerance towards mainstream Christians and their beliefs. I wonder whether Christian members of the NUT [National Union of Teachers] who have paid their dues can expect any help from the NUT when their jobs are on the line," said Simon Calvert, the institute's deputy director for public affairs. Robertson warned that the aim of the proposal is indoctrination."We believe that the real object of the petition is to indoctrinate school pupils with one particular perspective on moral and sexual ethics and one which is contrary to mainstream Christianity. We believe this is a Trojan horse to impose an ideological perspective on all pupils, whether they want it or not," he said.