Remove LGBT content from the Relationships Education curriculum
The Parliament petitions site records 249,594 signatures for this petition, which closed on 12 July 2023. The Government responded on 30 January 2023. MPs debated it in Westminster Hall on 18 March 2024.
The petition
The petition's creator is not named in the Petitions site's published record. Quoted in full from the UK Parliament petitions site.
Remove LGBT content from the Relationships Education curriculum
We believe kids shouldn't learn about this at an early age. I am sure there are many parents who do not want their or other children taught about LGBT in primary school.
The Government's response
The Government published its response on 30 January 2023; the petitions site lists the Department for Education as responsible. Its summary:
Primary schools are not required to teach LGBT content but can choose to teach it in an age-appropriate way. The Department for Education has no plans to change its advice to schools on this subject.
The response in full:
RSHE is designed to give pupils the knowledge they need to lead happy, safe, and healthy lives and to foster respect for other people and for difference.
The statutory guidance states that all pupils should receive teaching on LGBT content during their school years. Secondary schools should include LGBT content in their teaching. Primary schools are strongly encouraged and enabled, when teaching about different types of family, to include families with same sex parents.
Through these subjects, children will be taught about the importance of respectful relationships and the different types of loving and healthy relationships that exist. This can be done in a way that respects everyone’s views.
All schools may teach about faith perspectives. In particular, schools with a religious character may teach the distinctive faith perspective on relationships, and balanced debate may take place about issues that are seen as contentious.
In addition, schools should ensure that parents know what will be taught and when, and clearly communicate the fact that parents have the right to request that their child be withdrawn from some or all of sex education delivered as part of statutory RSE.
Schools should also ensure that, in developing their RSE policy, that they engage parents and provide examples of the resources they plan to use in lessons. We also expect schools to respond positively where parents ask to see specific materials, for example by inviting parents into the school to view materials where Copyright Law prevents them from sharing it online.
The Department for Education has no plans to change its advice to schools on this subject.
Department for Education
Where the signatures came from
Signatures came from 650 constituencies on the boundaries used until the 2024 general election. The largest number, 3,267, came from Bradford West.
248,491 of the signatures were from the UK and 1,103 from elsewhere, by the location signers gave.
| Constituency | Signatures |
|---|---|
| Bradford West | 3,267 |
| Blackburn | 2,944 |
| East Ham | 2,861 |
| Poplar and Limehouse | 2,790 |
| Birmingham, Ladywood | 2,743 |
| Ilford South | 2,661 |
| Birmingham, Hodge Hill | 2,597 |
| Birmingham, Hall Green | 2,593 |
| West Ham | 2,534 |
| Bradford East | 2,516 |
| Region | Signatures |
|---|---|
| London | 78,903 |
| North West | 31,392 |
| West Midlands | 28,591 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 23,818 |
| South East | 23,058 |
| East of England | 17,963 |
| East Midlands | 14,140 |
| Scotland | 9,298 |
| South West | 7,141 |
| North East | 5,298 |
| Wales | 4,599 |
| Northern Ireland | 2,023 |
Debate in Parliament
MPs debated the petition in Westminster Hall on 18 March 2024. Read the debate in Hansard.
Source and receipt
- https://petition.parliament.uk/archived/petitions/630932.jsonUK Parliament Petitions API · read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256
494404fd300d8e17… - The petition on petition.parliament.uk
The petition's words are its creator's and the response is the Government's; this site quotes both and gives no view on either. Signature counts can still change while a petition is open. To report an error, send a correction request.