In defence of the Parkfield Community School parents

‘Do you think LGBT rights should be taught in schools?’ Women’s Hour has got itself into a spot of bother by trailing a discussion on same-sex education with this tease. The objection is to the question mark, which hints sinisterly at a debate. We are at very real risk of a debate on relationships education and same-sex equality thanks to a noisy coalition of religious parents. The backlash began at Parkfield Community School, an academy primary with more than 700 pupils in Hodge Hill, the most deprived constituency in Birmingham. The roll is almost exclusively ethnic minority and a majority of pupils are of Pakistani origin; the ‘vast majority’ of the children speak English as an additional language. More than a third qualify for free school meals (the average in England is 13.7 per cent). Despite its size and socio-economic setting, Parkfield is by all accounts a very good school. At its last inspection, in May 2016, it was rated outstanding in every category.