Catholic schools were the subject of an astonishingly ignorant and sneering exchange between Ed Balls and John Humphrys on the Today programme this morning, which you can listen to here. In it, Balls confirmed that the sex education Bill – to be debated in Parliament today – will require Catholic schools to provide information on how to “access” contraception and abortion.Read the rest here.
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Wednesday, February 24, 2010
British education bill to require Catholic schools provide information on accessing contraception and abortion services
Via Damian Thompson:
Given that the school nurse service in British schools is provided by local government I'm sure Catholic schools are providing this sort of information already. As with everything else about Catholicism in Britain the protest over this (insofar as there is one) is far too little far too late.
ReplyDeletePerhaps for all of us.
ReplyDeleteIt is never too late until our Saviour decides it is.
ReplyDeleteOne sight correction, if I may: the bill (which was accepted by the Commons yesterday) applies only to schools in England and Wales; thus is it not a "British education bill."
ReplyDeleteScotland and the North of Ireland have their own education systems. A minor point, perhaps, but crucial to those of us in Scotland where Catholic schools will continue to have their own way of delivering sex education. Our Catholic schools were not taken over by the state until 1918 (many years after those in England) and thus have more robust legal guarantees. For example, guidance counsellors, religion teachers and all senior management posts may only be held by Catholics who can certify that they attend Church regularly; it is not so in England. Long may these rights continue.