Four-year-old pupils taught about surrogacy, 'tummy mummies' and 'donated sperm or eggs' in lessons blasted as 'highly inappropriate' by parents and campaigners
Reception classes are told that children can have a 'tummy mummy' as well as a 'mummy and/or daddy who will be their parents' when learning about the basics of reproduction.
Among 'key vocabulary' four and five-year-olds must learn are 'surrogacy' and 'donated sperm or eggs' in a module titled: 'Where do babies come from?'
Parents and campaigners say it is 'highly inappropriate' to teach these topics to such young children, saying it is only likely to confuse them.
They add that the concepts should be introduced only to much older children 'as part of lessons on thorny ethical issues such as euthanasia and abortion'.
Industry estimates suggest about 500 children are born through surrogacy in the UK each year – equating to just 0.08 per cent of children born in England and Wales in 2023.
About half of these children result from arrangements involving foreign surrogates, and campaigners warn this often leads to poor women in developing countries being exploited.
Helen Gibson, founder of Surrogacy Concern, said she is 'appalled' to see surrogacy being taught to such young children and has written to the Department for Education (DfE) to raise concerns.
She said: 'Surrogacy is higher risk for severe pregnancy complications, it is unethical, exploitative and highly contentious.'
However, pro-surrogacy groups have lobbied MPs for the practice to be 'included in schools', a document seen by the Mail shows.
The DfE said the teaching material was developed by a private relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) provider and is not compulsory in all primary schools, adding: 'The RSHE guidance is clear that where schools choose to do so they must make sure they teach age-appropriate topics.'
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