RSHP Resources

It’s best to keep your email or conversation simple and clear. Here are some examples :-

1. If there are certain topics taught too early, you can explain you feel the lessons are not age appropriate and best suited to later in secondary school.
2. If you’re unhappy with the lessons on sex, sexual acts such as anal and oral as available in the national RSHP resources. You can request to withdraw your child and explain that you teach these topics in your own way and prefer to teach your kids yourself.
3. If there are explicit lessons of the body and body parts.* You can simply say you prefer them to be more of a sketch, diagram type illustration rather than real looking bodies of people standing together, as seen in some of the schools slides.
4. If your school has not taken your child’s Muslim identity into account and has excluded religious beliefs about these important aspects of life (RSHP) from the lessons. Then you could request them to incorporate religious views into their lessons and school resources. This would help the school meet it’s obligations as in the equality act 2010 (the law). Lessons should not be discriminatory by omitting our views. Remember belief and religion is a protected characteristic according to the equality act. You could ask the school how they have incorporated Muslim beliefs. 
5. When young people are represented in teaching materials, including Muslim children, this helps them feel like they belong and that their identity is also valued. This helps pupils to better engage with education. Children will feel excluded when they are not considered and only one groups values are taught. 
6. It is essential for schools to give all pupils an understanding of religious perspectives too so that they are ready to interact with people with all backgrounds in the community and appreciated religious understanding of RSHP.

Schools have a duty to teach topics in a balanced and appropriate way, taking care not to confuse children. If teachers do decided to speak about LGBT+ ideas to older mature students, then your beliefs as a Muslim should also be included, you have a legal right to have the opportunity to discuss and have your beliefs represented.

We offer the following advice to anyone contacting their school to discuss their concerns.

As Muslims we should interact with other people in a respectful and decent manner, since every person is the creation of Allah ﷻ. By doing this it doesn’t mean we are celebrating, endorsing or agree with LGBT+ beliefs.

We hold on to our view and remain faithful to the teachings taught to us by Islam, as we fundamentally believe that Islam has the best interests of mankind at heart for this life and the hereafter. Our belief is that marriage in Islam is between a biological man and a women and any intimate relationships outside of marriage are not permitted in Islam. 

When we interact with anyone who we hold different views, we are not to humiliate or abuse them but maintain good character. Allah ﷻ loves those who have the best character and this should show via your interaction and behaviour. Our Prophet ﷺ had the best character and he is our teacher, we aspire to follow his way which brought and continues to bring countless people into the fold of Islam.

The other thing to note is regarding when we refer to same sex relationships as “sinful”. In simple terms, sinful would mean we believe this is against what Allah ﷺ and His Blessed Prophets have guided us about sexual relationships and the fulfilment of desires. A person may have various feelings, Allah ﷺ will not punish people for just having feelings. Same sex feelings are not sinful unless they are acted upon.

However, this doesn’t enable or instruct us to behave in a horrible way towards others. We are advised to behave with wisdom and watch how we are dealing with people. Offer your good advice and talk about your views when appropriate but remain dignified and respectful at all times

A positive school ethos can only be achieved when differences in perspectives, views and beliefs on RSHP are incorporated into a whole school approach. 

Schools must have regard to the right to freedom of expression, freedom of thought, conscience and religion as supported by protections in law.

To promote equality and inclusion does not mean the school should apply pressure on pupils or indeed staff members to participate in events and activities in which they hold different beliefs. Human rights can be promoted without forcing everyone to be the same and at times it does feel schools need to improve on their implementation of diversity by including religious people and our views. 

The focus on equal opportunity for everyone is important without discriminating, be that in education, employment or elsewhere. 

To facilitate this, themes can be developed incorporating that individuals can interact and live peacefully alongside people they disagree, without this being labelled hateful and discriminatory to individuals. We need to tolerate our differences and live our lives.

It would be incorrect for schools to restrict pupils of their freedom to have their religious beliefs. See Respect for All, Scotland’s national approach to anti-bullying. 

Schools should alert parents of any events which incorporate sensitive areas such as sexuality and gender. A letter requesting  consent for their children to take part is also appropriate.

*The school changed it’s approach following discussions with the head teacher and improved on the understanding of diversity.

Teachers are generally friendly and approachable. 

You can explain you are tolerant of others but hope for the same courtesy back. 

More experienced teachers will understand having a different view or belief doesn’t mean you are hateful towards other people. 

It is normal for people to have different views. It would be nice for schools to give all pupils an understanding of religious perspectives too so that they are ready to interact with people with all backgrounds in the community and are aware of the religious communities understanding of RSHP.

Pupils will benefit from the full breadth of views in society, including the views of religious students and schools can offer a safe space for discussions to foster mutual understanding, without trying to censure well established religious teachings.

And you can remind the school that you are simply looking out for your child, helping the school to understand your child’s needs.

Safe guarding and the welfare of pupils is taken seriously by schools. We would suggest you speak with your school to explain how the lesson impacted your child.

Also, schools must protect children in a manner where they are not compromising pupil dignity.

We are aware of some controversial aspects of the current national RSHP resources. e.g  Lessons in which pupils are instructed to share intimate details with other pupils in discussions about what would make good sex and bad sex for them.

It is a good idea to check the resources being used by individual schools since they can choose what to use and therefore schools may be using different lessons in class.

Perhaps there has been a misunderstanding. You may want to check with the school if they have received your request.

Schools are busy places, give them some time to respond, delays may not necessarily mean the school is avoiding you. 

Be polite but firm, at some stage you may want to refer to your parental rights and keep a record of your communications with the school.

Explain you want to view the teaching resources and lessons plans to avoid any surprises and work with the school so there are no issues later.

Refer to our video above for more information.

If you require any further assistance in speaking with your school, please get in touch.

Unfortunately, if the school is not willing to communicate with you or is unwilling to show you the class lesson resources, for transparency.

We understand this will be stressful for you. At this stage you may want to consider making a formal written complaint.

This may prompt the school to take you seriously. Request to speak with the head teacher and give some details about who you have previously communicated with at the school.

Most issues are resolved at his stage and head teachers are normally proactive in dealing with issues their teachers have not addressed.

Try your best to achieve a good outcome and take somebody with you for support to any meeting the school arranges.

Hopefully all goes well, however if you need to escalate then it will be to your council.

You councils education department has the responsibility of any school concerns. Follow the councils procedure outlined on their website or contact the education department and speak with somebody to help you make the complaint.

The next stage if it requires further escalation would be to raise it with the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO).

Normally,  you will have had to have gone through your councils formal complaints procedure first before the SPSO will take a complaint on.

Here is the link to the website:

http://www.spso.org.

There is a well established body of laws that recognise parental rights, see the references noted below. You can be confident that you have a say and schools must take your views into account. Also refer to our video in which the Scottish Schools (Parental involvement) Act 2006 is discussed.

– Section 28 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980;

– Paragraph 4 of Article 18 of The United Nations
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;

– Paragraph 3 of Article 26 of The 1948 Universal
Declaration of Human Rights;

– Article 2 of the First Protocol of the European
Convention on Human Rights;

– Guidance on the Scottish Schools (Parental
involvement) Act 2006

No, a pupil does not need to take part if the lessons are not appropriate.

A right to an education does not mean children and young people must participate in RSHP lessons that may be only giving one view and perspective on the topic. 

Children have a right to a balanced and age appropriate education without sexualised lessons.

Classroom presentations, general messaging around the school through posters and events when taken together as a whole must not present a promotional message of one value or belief in society to convince pupils of it’s preference. The national curriculum is meant to give a broad education, where pupils understand others views in society and we would appreciate schools include religious views too when teaching RSHP.

Lack of awareness about lawfully held religious views on marriage, sexuality, and intimate fulfilment, gender ideology and any other aspects of RSHP can result ignorance, misunderstandings and stereotyping, which can lead to bullying and incorrectly labelling pupils phobic or intolerant. See Respect for All, Scotland’s national approach to anti-bullying. And therefore it is essential schools select and prepare their RSHP lessons well.

Yes, Scotland has incorporated this convention into our law. However remember article 14 of this is about freedom of thought, conscience and religion.

And there is a legal responsibility to have due regard, as in the protected characteristic of religious belief, protected under the Equality Act 2010.

What this means is that for example discussions on LGBT+ should include religious views where religious parents and pupils have the equality of opportunity to have their beliefs represented otherwise schools could be in breach of the equality duty under the Equality Act 2010. This is important because there is a concerning perception that RSHP still does not include religious perspectives.

Further, schools must be mindful of their legal Public sector equality duty (PSED) to “foster good relations” and therefore must be mindful of not creating resentment, especially by ignoring the rights of all pupils to express their views and beliefs.

Schools must not teach sexuality ideas and sexual identities to young pupils when they are too young to understand, even while promoting it as one sided views of “love”. If at all required at school, discussion of this topic are best suited to senior level, mature secondary school pupils.

LGBT+ ideological positions must not be taught as universally held by everyone, without due regard to other belief systems and values. For example the UNESCO agency of the UN outlines the importance of understanding the different ways people express their sexuality.  See Guidance on sexuality education UNESCO. 

In Islam, this means religious expression of intimate relationships being only allowed between a man and a women, within the boundaries of a marriage contract. This would have the blessings of Nikah, a sacred institution.

It is acknowledged individuals may choose or not to act on their same sex attraction in accordance to for example their beliefs of abstinence, self control and generally in light of a persons understanding of desires, fulfilment and satisfaction.

In Islam same sex intimate relationships are not permitted.