Conservative leader apologises again for previously supporting section 28 and says that teaching about equality is an important way of combating homophobic bullying

David Cameron has said that teaching children about equality for gay people and the importance of civil partnerships should be "embedded" in Britain's schooling.

In another sign of his departure from the Tory past, Cameron again apologised for supporting section 28 and said that teaching about equality was an important way of combating homophobic bullying.

The Conservative leader, who voted for the retention of section 28 as recently as 2003, made his comments at a Cameron Direct event in answer to a question from the gay rights campaign group Stonewall.

The group asked Cameron whether he agreed with the Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg, that children should be taught that homosexuality is "normal and harmless".

Cameron said: "We do need good sex and relationship education. That education should teach people about equality and the sort of country we are – that we treat people the same whether they are straight or gay, or black or white or a man or a woman. It is important that ethos is embedded in our schooling.

"In the past the Conservative party made a mistake with section 28. That is something we have apologised for. We got that wrong. The only thing I thought where Nick Clegg was potentially getting it wrong is, I don't think the style and content of sex and relationship education should be dictated from on high in Whitehall and Westminster. There is a danger with that.

"But should we teach children about relationships? Yes, we should. Should we teach them about consent? Yes, we should. Should we teach them about the importance of equality, whether you are heterosexual or homosexual? Yes, we should. Should we teach them about civil partnerships being the way of same sex couples showing commitment just as married couples show commitment? Yes, we should.

"All of those things can help us to create a fairer country and also help us deal with homophobic bullying. There is no doubt that it is a problem and it can be dealt with."

Cameron's remarks came after Clegg made his call for children to be taught that homosexuality is normal and for faith schools to be required to introduce anti-homophobic bullying policies.

"In an interview with Attitude magazine, the Lib Dem leader pointed out that in 2003 Cameron had voted against the repeal of section 28 which banned the "promotion" of homosexuality in schools in 1988.

"I don't really know what he believes in," Clegg said. "I don't know what his convictions are and the reason is because they keep changing – and they seem to change for convenience."

Britain's changing attitude to homosexuality was highlighted this week in a study by the National Centre for Social Research which found that 36% of respondents thought sexual relations between two adults of the same sex were "always or mostly" wrong. This is down from 63% in 1983.