There is more to this story from the UK than may first meet the eye. British religious schools receive some taxpayer funding. Therefore, this program will apply to all schools, including religious schools that have a very different view of human sexuality, and of the relationship between children, parents and the state.

Britain’s House of Commons is set to vote on legislation this week that would introduce a program of sex education to primary school children from as young as 5 years of age.

The “Children, Schools and Families Bill” also contains many other clauses which, critics say, is not so much a denial of Catholic teaching “as a whole uprooting of the natural law relationship between parents, children and the state.”

That is, Catholic teaching is very clear that parents are the primary educators of their children, that there are limits on morally acceptable sexual behavior and that teaching about sexuality should be done in the home, not in a public place like a school.

Critics say schools would be forced to teach SRE according to principles of “equality,” “diversity” and “rights,” which are interpreted by the government to include abortion, birth control, homosexuality and “a wide range of sexual practices.” They may also have to prove their SRE programs accord with the bill’s principles and that they had “regard” for the government’s sex education program.

The government insists faith schools are entitled to protect their ethos, but it remains unclear how much the government will mandate faith schools to accept its sexual health agenda. Advocacy groups such as the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) say that even though schools may adapt “the way things are taught,” the government will nevertheless insist that all aspects of SRE will have to be delivered in all schools.

“There can be no doubt the government will use the bill, if passed, to promote abortion in schools,” said John Smeaton, SPUC’s director. “The bill’s principles will be used to ensure that pro-abortion propaganda dominates the content of sex education.”

Once again, the modern state sees fit to take over the proper functions of civil society and the family.