Filed on October 10, 2018 | Last updated on October 10, 2018 at 07.07 am

Titled 'All Families Are Different', it initially talks about diversity in the household.

The parent of a child enrolled in a British curriculum school in Dubai was caught off-guard when her child brought home a book about same-sex marriage.

After checking out the book from the school library during the Library Day, the child, in FS2, gave the book to her mother to read.

Titled 'All Families Are Different', it initially talks about diversity in the household.

"Families come in different sizes, shapes and colours.Some are big. Some are small. And some have lots of furry friends," it reads.

"I used to think every family had to have a mommy, a daddy and a kid like me. But today I learned that all families are different," it goes on.

But when the mother, who asked not to be named, turned to page 14, she was forced to improvise during story time.

The page introduced Zoe and Thomas, two characters within the book, and talked about how Zoe has "two dads and Thomas has two moms".

"When my child gave me the book and I saw the title, I actually expected it could have content about same-sex relationships, so I wasn't all that shocked to be honest. Communities, media and publishers in many western countries are more open towards LGBT, so this content about non-traditional families is probably common in school books there," she told Khaleej Times.

However, given that the book was found in a school in Dubai, she did question the content.

"I didn't tell my child about same-sex marriage and families. I just told her that mom and dad can have help sometimes from aunts and uncles to take care of the kids, just like what we do in our family."

Though the mother did applaud some content in the book, which talked about acceptance - especially when living in a place like Dubai which is home to so many nationalities - she reached out to the local schooling authority for advice.

"On that same day, a school representative contacted me by email and asked me to return the book immediately," she said.

Schools must conform to UAE culture: KHDA

In a statement to Khaleej Times, Mohammed Darwish, chief of regulations and permits commission at Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), said school textbooks should "conform to societal and cultural values of the UAE while enriching learner experience".

"Periodic checks are carried out by KHDA teams to ensure learning resources are in adherence with local laws and regulations. Private schools also share this responsibility to ensure the textbooks are reviewed and monitored regularly.

"Dubai's private schools are committed to providing high-quality education and continue to provide resources that create a positive experience for the education community."

kelly@khaleejtimes.com