The recent parent protests caused by the introduction of ‘No Outsiders for a Faith Community’ program, which places a heavy emphasis on LGBT equality, should have been handled better by the government, according to Sara Khan, a government adviser since 2018.
According to Ms. Khan, headteachers in schools facing backlash for introducing the program should have been given access to more support from state institutions.
Ms. Khan even characterized the parent protests as mob formations, which is unacceptable.
Schools, the government and equality programs
While the recent update of the equality programs around the United Kingdom was mostly accepted throughout schools, parents from several institutions like Parkfield decided to protest.
According to the parents, the government is pushing for a program that is increasingly focused on advancing an LGBT agenda. Parents claim that children should be left to develop their understandings and not be forced to deal with complicated matters at such a young age.
In her comments, Ms. Khan claimed that such parent outbursts are not a good sign and should be treated as an extreme escalation by the government. Unfortunately, the government did not provide sufficient support for headmasters to deal with parent dissatisfaction.
While the equality program is very positive and tries to teach students the benefits of diversity in the community and the importance of accepting their peers, many parents have deemed it close to propaganda material. Ms. Khan has added that the government should prepare a more clear guideline for both teachers and parents on what the goals of the equality program are so that there is no misunderstanding left.
