The UK Government has brought forward regulations that would force schools in Northern Ireland (NI) to teach students aged 11 to 16 years old (key stages 3 and 4) about abortion.
The regulations were debated by the House of Commons Second Delegated Legislation Committee last night and it has just been announced by the Speaker of the House of Commons that MPs will vote on the regulations tomorrow (Wednesday 28 June).
Seventy-nine percent of respondents to a public consultation on introducing abortion to Northern Ireland opposed introducing abortion to the region and polling showed that two-thirds of women in Northern Ireland did not want abortion laws imposed by Westminster.
Now the UK Government is adding insult to injury and forcing schools throughout Northern Ireland to teach about abortion in schools.
The Government has claimed that the regulations will mirror the approach taken in England.
What is being taught in schools goes far beyond outlining what the abortion law in England is. For example, one resource that is recommended in the provided guidance to teachers outlines how to get an abortion (including late-term abortions) and teaches girls how to go about secretly having an abortion without their parents knowing.
The same resource encourages students who are pregnant to book an appointment at an abortion clinic, even if they are unsure about whether they want to have an abortion. Contact details for the three largest abortion providers in the UK, all of whom received the majority of their income from performing abortions, are provided in the resource.
If teachers in Northern Ireland are forced to teach about abortion, many more lives will likely be lost to abortion in Northern Ireland.
TAKE ACTION – EMAIL YOUR MP
We have launched an easy-to-use tool on our website that makes it simple for you to send an email to your MP asking them to vote against forcing NI schools to teach about abortion.
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