Sex education has been suspended in schools on the Isle of Man after allegations that a drag queen told 11-year-olds there are 73 different genders.
Parents raised concerns about the “graphic, disproportionate, and indecent presentation” of sexual acts and various gender identities that were allegedly taught in lessons, prompting the Isle of Man government to launch an independent review of its personal, social, health, and economic (PSHE) curriculum.
The Year 7 students at Queen Elizabeth II High School in Peel, Isle of Man, were instructed by a drag queen, who informed them that there are 73 genders, according to the parents of students there.
There are only two, and one “upset” student allegedly responded, to which the drag queen allegedly responded, “You’ve upset me,” and ordered the student to leave.
Some 11-year-olds at the school were taught about oral and anal sex, while another group learned about sex change operations and was shown how skin grafts taken from a girl’s arm could be used on an artificial penis, according to reports.
“A lot of children are just too traumatised to even talk to their parents,” Eliza Cox, vice chairwoman of the Marown Commissioners, told Energy FM Isle of Man. “As a parent, you don’t know what children are being taught.”
She said that one teacher on the island had told her she had to teach a group of boys and girls in Years 7 and 8 how to masturbate. Another teacher was said to be so uncomfortable with the content of the PSHE curriculum that they told pupils: “Please don’t listen to me” while they taught the lesson.
‘Alienating students’
A petition by parents of pupils at Queen Elizabeth II High School has been launched, calling for an “immediate investigation into the alleged actions of teachers delivering age-inappropriate material to children”.
The petition, addressed to the school’s headteacher and signed by more than 500 people, stated: “We consider the attendance of a ‘drag queen’ in class and alienating students who are clearly confused about the information discussed during this session wholly inappropriate.
“How, who and why was this guest speaker permitted to discuss gender issues to an inappropriate child audience by an inexperienced and untrained adult?”
The Isle of Man government said it would commission an independent review to “gain an independent understanding of what has taken place”.
Julie Edge, minister for education on the island, said the Department of Education, Sport and Culture has “taken the decision to pause all RSE delivery across primary and secondary schools, and will be unable to comment further until the facts have been established”.
The self-governing crown dependency introduced a new PSHE curriculum in September.
Independent review
Miriam Cates, the Conservative MP who sits on the House of Commons’ education select committee, has warned that parents in England are also being kept in the dark about age-inappropriate content being taught to children in sex education.
She said: “When parents raise serious safeguarding concerns about inappropriate and sexualising materials being used in sex education lessons in schools, the right response is to pause these lessons whilst the matter can be investigated.
“I applaud the authorities in the Isle of Man for making this decision. But similar – and worse – materials are being used in schools across the UK and the Department for Education has persistently ignored whistleblowers who raise concerns. The UK Government needs to take its lead from the Isle of Man.”
Charlotte Clarke, head of Queen Elizabeth II High School, said: “Having viewed a video which is currently circulating on social media relating to the school’s RSE curriculum and its delivery, we are concerned that there could be a number of inaccuracies with the information being shared.
“Given the concerns being raised, and in order to be open and transparent, we requested an independent review into the situation. As such I am happy to take part in the independent review which is being deployed by the Department of Education, Sport and Culture and would encourage our community to avoid speculation at this time.”
A spokesperson for the Department for Education said: “Schools must make sure all content they use is factual and age-appropriate, and engage with parents so they are aware of what their children are being taught.
“We will write to all schools this term to emphasise the rights of parents to see teaching materials being taught to their children in schools.”