Muslim parents lead group of 300 in protest outside school gates against equality lessons on homosexuality

More than 300 parents and children gathered outside of a primary school yesterday to protest against lessons on homosexuality and gender.

Some Muslim demonstrators said they would rather leave the UK than allow their children to continue attending Parkfield Community School in Birmingham.

Pupils were kept out of lessons for the first hour of the day. Some joined in with the chants and held placards reading: 'Education not indoctrination.' One child carried a handwritten sign which said: 'Let kids be kids.' 

The protest comes amid a campaign against lessons on equality at the school, with parents in the predominantly Muslim area saying they promote homosexuality. Christian evangelists joined them to protest yesterday in a show of solidarity.

Parents' anger is aimed at the school's assistant head Andrew Moffat, who is behind the 'No Outsiders' lessons. He created the scheme to teach children about the Equality Act and British values.

Pupils at the school – rated outstanding by Ofsted – have five of these lessons a year, covering areas outlined in the Act: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. 

The programme was first piloted at the school in 2014 and is now also taught at dozens of other schools in the country.

Mr Moffat, who is in a civil partnership, was made an MBE for services to equality and diversity in education in 2017. He is currently shortlisted for a 'world's best teacher' award.

He resigned from a previous teaching post at another school after a row with Christian parents over lessons challenging homophobia – and is now facing even more vocal complaints from parents at Parkfield, where 98 per cent of the 750 pupils are said to be from an Islamic background.





MailOnline