'Mum' and Dad' to be banned in school

Action: lobby Ed Balls: ed@edballs.com. At Stonewall's request, schools are being asked to undermine children's assumptions about the naturalness and normality of traditional family life. Regular readers will remember that this has already happened in the NHS.

From the Daily Star: "MUM AND DAD" are set to be banned from classrooms under barmy rules to stamp out gay bullying. Teachers have been told not to use the "gender specific" words to pupils.

Schools are also advised to stop telling little boys to "be a man" or that they are behaving like "a bunch of girls". Instead primary school teachers are being urged to use the word "parents" in an effort to boost children's awareness of same-sex couples.

And secondary schools are being told to teach kids between 11 and 14 about civil partnerships and gay adoption rights. Schools Secretary Ed Balls yesterday launched the guidelines, which were put together by gay rights group Stonewall.

The rules commissioned by the Department for Children, Schools and Families aim to help teach children aged between four and seven that some of their pals may have two mums or two dads.

In a section on how to chat about parents the document asks: "Do you talk about `parents' instead of assuming all pupils have a `mum and dad'? "Schools should make efforts to talk inclusively about same-sex parents, for example, to avoid assuming all pupils will have a `mum and dad'.

"When schools discuss marriage they may also discuss civil partnership and adoption rights for gay people." The crackdown also states that gay insults should be treated with the same "zero tolerance" as racist slurs. Guidelines also urge teachers to stop children using the word "gay" as a slang insult. It cites examples including "those trainers are so gay". Minister Mr Balls said: "Every school should have a clear policy on
tackling all forms of bullying, including homophobic bullying."