Monday February 7, 2:54 PM
Yahoo! News
Yahoo! Top Stories - Press Association News Centre
Teachers have no role in promoting any sexual orientation, the Government made clear when it disclosed the first details of new guidance on sex education.
The principles underlying the guidance - to be published before Easter - were disclosed as ministers faced a challenge in the Lords to their bid to repeal legislation forbidding local authorities promoting homosexuality.
Some Labour peers are expected to join Tories and church leaders in defending Section 28 of the existing Local Government Act.
Education Secretary David Blunkett said the new guidance would set out that "pupils should be taught about the importance of marriage, family life, love and stable relationships in bringing up children".
He said: "The guidance will also make it clear that it is not the job of teachers to promote a particular sexual orientation.
"It will also ensure that teachers are in a position to offer information and support to all young people as they develop into adults and address incidents of homophobic bullying."
The guidance would state that sex and relationship education should be firmly rooted within the framework of personal, social and health education set out in the new National Curriculum published last year, the Department for Education and Employment said.
This sets out that children should be taught that "marriage and the family are the key building blocks of community and society".
The objective of sex education was to "help young people learn to respect themselves and others and by doing so move from adolescence into adulthood with confidence".
The guidance would make clear that school governing bodies should develop policies on sex and relationships education in consultation with parents.