Children in wales will have universal access to LGBT education (Picture: Getty)

Parents in Wales have lost the right to prevent their children from learning about sexuality, relationships and religion.

The decision follows a consultation in which the vast majority of respondents (88.7%) said parents should be able to withdraw pupils from LGBT+ classes.

Education minister, Kirsty Williams, said it was the government’s responsibility to ensure that young people ‘understand their rights and the rights of others.’

The Lib Dem politician said: ‘I recognise this is a sensitive matter and the consultation responses reflected a wide range of views.’


The minister confirmed plans to establish a new working group that will oversee the refinement of the Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) curriculum.

Parents have had their right to take children out of LGBT lessons removed (Picture: Getty)

The minister added: ‘This will provide valuable intelligence to inform the refinement of our approach and will also enable learners, parents and carers and communities to see it working in practice and to feedback their views.’



Teaching RSE will be made a statuary requirement in Wales by 2021.

The decision has been praised by LGBT+ campaigners, who say Wales is ‘leading the way’ on inclusive teaching.

The topic has proved divisive in other parts of the UK.

Earlier this year a High Court judge banned anti-LGBT education protests outside a Birmingham primary school.

He disagreed with parents who claimed the inclusivity lessons were ‘promoting homosexuality’ and said the education programme taught tolerance in an ‘age-appropriate’ way.

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