Dealing with the Identity and PSHE dilemma

By Graham Cottingham

Many Christian families will be concerned about Labour’s ‘Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill’, due for second reading on 08 January 2025.  The Bill will vastly increase the control of government over parental rights in the education of their children. 

This blog from a Trustee of CViE will encourage our supporters to trust in the Lord for their children’s education, even when the circumstances seem against them.

We recently learned that our 9-year-old son would be discussing identity in his PSHE lessons. Having always maintained a positive and friendly relationship with our children’s teachers, we requested a copy of the lesson plans. We found that part of the identity lesson involved discussing that some people don’t always identify with their birth gender.

After discussing this together and taking it to the Lord in prayer, we spoke to his teacher the following day. We requested that he would not be in the classroom during that part of the lesson and explained our reasons. We shared that children are not expected to question their race or any other part of their identity. Furthermore, considering they had recently learned about puberty, we felt it was wholly inappropriate to teach children concepts that could cause them to doubt their own bodies at such a young age.

We earnestly prayed for the Lord’s guidance while we waited for the school’s response. On Friday afternoon of that week (the lesson was scheduled for the following Tuesday), the teacher asked to speak with me after school. She informed me that after discussing it with the headteacher, they had decided to remove that part from the lesson.

We felt humbled before the Lord for hearing and answering our prayers. As we reflected that evening and gave thanks for this remarkable answer, we realized we might never know how many children’s minds had been spared from confusion about their gender and bodies given by their Creator.

These verses were particularly meaningful to us during this time:

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. (Ephesians 6:12-13)

We found the Christian Institute leaflet on “Engaging with Schools” to be very useful – available here. It clearly sets out schools’ duties and parents’ rights, and offers the best approach for engaging with schools.

We hope this will encourage others to take a stand and protect our children.