Melanie Phillips: Mr. Balls’s secular InquisitionMelanie Phillips writing in the Spectator: “Indeed, the real significance of this appalling piece of legislation [the Children Schools and Families Bill] goes far beyond this particular row over this amendment, and far beyond the particular difficulties to be faced by faith schools and the ludicrous hoops through which they are now expected to jump. For it means that in all schools, parents will now find that their children are to be indoctrinated in a set of ‘non-judgmental ‘assumptions about sexual activity that many may find questionable or objectionable – but by law these assumptions may not deviate from the doctrines laid down by the Inquisitors at the Department for Children Schools and Families.” Children, Schools and Families Bill 2009-10 (2.3.2010): The Christian Institute: “Plans to force home-schooling families to register their children with local authorities are ‘not a good use of public money’, according to a member of the Local Government Association’s Children and Young People Board . . . Proposals revealed last November in the Children, Schools and Families Bill would make it compulsory for home-educating families to register with their local authorities on an annual basis.” |