DUP's 'five core pillars' supporting the party's opposition to new RSE legislation

Publishing what her party describes as the “five core pillars” of its response paper, Diane Dodds said the concerns of parents “have been amplified by the Secretary of State’s disgraceful decision to impose laws on Northern Ireland which will make abortion a compulsory element of RSE for post-primary schools going forward”.

The Upper Bann MLA said the “Christian ethos of schools must be protected”.

She said: “RSE is a devolved issue and should have remained in the gift of a restored Executive and Assembly. Instead, these reforms were railroaded through without prior consultation with local communities.

"Even at this late stage, there is deep uncertainty surrounding the impact of the changes. The Department of Education was expected to consult on the circumstances in which a parent will be able to request that their child is withdrawn from the new teaching. The consultation, however, offers precious little in the way of detail.”

As well as maintaining a Christian ethos in schools, the list of ‘core pillars’ includes: the rights of parents must be respected, not restricted; that abortion is a moral issue and should be treated as such; that teachers must not be forced to act against their conscience, and that the role of school governors should not be undermined.

Mrs Dodds said: “Parents are best placed to determine what is in the best interests of their child. They should be consulted on the development of all RSE materials. Parents, not head teachers, should have the final say on whether a pupil is withdrawn from RSE.

"A parental opt-out must be in place before the new teaching requirements take effect and must be unfettered as is the case for RE and collective worship. It must also not prevent parents from withdrawing their child from other elements of RSE.”

Mrs Dodds added: “Those who cynically view this consultation as an opportunity to make sweeping reforms to RSE must be resisted and defeated.’’

Mrs Dodds will host an RSE workshop in Banbridge Old Town Hall on October 26 at 7.30pm.