Safe at School is calling for the resignation of OFSTED Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman, after she made a series of disturbing remarks, ahead of a Church of England conference on Education, which appear to seriously threaten the rights of parents to raise their children according to their own values, particularly in the areas of sexual morality, natural marriage and the sanctity of human life.
Dr Tom Rogers of the Safe at School Campaign commented: "Amanda Spielman is making some very sinister statements here. Most worrying of all, Ms Spielman says she will ‘always back heads who take decisions in the interests of their pupils’. It is not the role of the state to override parents and decide what is in the best interests of their children. She is effectively calling for schools to operate a totalitarian regime where there is no room for the voices of concerned parents to be heard."
Her warning that schools should not be used by "individuals" to "indoctrinate impressionable minds under the guise of religious belief" is, according to Safe at School, tantamount to saying that children should not be taught the truths of their faith in school. The sanctity of human life and natural marriage between one man and one woman are central tenets of Christianity, as well as other major faiths.
Dr Rogers continued: "The obligation on schools actively to promote the vaguely defined so-called ‘Fundamental British Values’, has been used in conjunction with a skewed interpretation of the flawed Equality Act to force schools to promote homosexuality and transgenderism. Spielman is saying that ‘freedom of belief’ is for the ‘private sphere’, whilst in school children should be forced to conform to this new official state ideology, which many parents would themselves consider to be dangerous and extremist in nature".
Dr Rogers concluded: "This really is a case of ‘the pot calling the kettle black’. Amanda Spielman heads an organisation which has become increasingly ruthless in imposing a state programme of indoctrination rather than true education. OFSTED has an obligation to be impartial and, given today's statement, schools, parents and teachers cannot be confident that they will be treated fairly by OFSTED".
Contact us:
For further information contact Dr Tom Rogers, Safe at School, on:
- 020 7820 3141
- education@spuc.org.uk