The Government published the Draft Conversion Practices Bill earlier this year. The full text of the Bill can be found here.
There is a committee made up of MPs and Lords conducting pre-legislative scrutiny. They are accepting evidence on whether the bill is workable until 5pm on Monday, 16 November.
We would encourage ACT members and other Christian educators to submit evidence and have created some suggested points to assist you. You can submit evidence via the ‘start submission’ button below.
The guidance suggests that responses are kept to less than 3000 words, and you must declare if you have substantially used AI. Responses should be uploaded as a Word Document (not a PDF).
Three messages to keep in mind
1. We want children to be safe. Teachers are committed to children's wellbeing and take safeguarding seriously. No child should experience coercion, abuse or violence and we want the committee to know that Christian teachers have deep concern for the safety and wellbeing of their students.
2. We must be able to do our jobs without fear. Teachers must retain the freedom to have honest conversations, ask appropriate questions and exercise professional judgement, even when decisions taken are not welcome.
3. The government should not criminalise lawful conduct. Explaining Christian beliefs, providing pastoral support or making a professional decision that a child finds upsetting should not automatically be treated as an abusive act.
Key points to consider raising
Please put these in your own words and include practical, real-life examples of how the proposals could affect teachers, other professionals and students
1. The proposed legislation could impinge on the freedom to have honest conversations
Teachers must be able to answer pupils' questions about Christian teaching on sex, marriage, sexuality and gender.
Explaining religious beliefs should not be confused with attempting to change someone's identity.
Pupils finding an answer challenging or upsetting does not automatically mean harm has been caused.
Teachers should not feel unable to have sensitive conversations for fear of criminalisation, which is what this bill may produce.
2. The proposed Bill damages the ability to safeguard children and use professional judgement
Teachers must be free to explore the reasons behind a child's distress or uncertainty about their identity. Given the inclusion of the topic in the latest Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance, this is often a safeguarding issue.
Safeguarding requires professionals to sometimes ask questions and consider wider circumstances, including bullying, anxiety, family difficulties and trauma.
Schools must retain the freedom to make decisions in a child's best interests, even when these differ from the child's wishes.
A child disagreeing with a decision and even refusing to attend school does not mean that staff have acted abusively, which could easily be argued under the draft bill.
3. The bill makes it harder to understand children's individual needs and vulnerabilities
Children, particularly those with SEND or additional needs, may require careful and individualised support.
Teachers must be able to consider how a child's circumstances affect their understanding, experiences and wellbeing, and this bill risks making those conversations precarious.
Legislation should not prevent professionals from asking appropriate questions or exploring possible causes of distress, which is plausible under this legislation.
4. The legislation is not necessary or proportionate
What specific harms is the Government seeking to address, and what evidence is there of their extent?
Existing laws already address violence, coercion, harassment and other abusive behaviour.
New criminal offences must be clearly defined and should not capture ordinary teaching, pastoral conversations or safeguarding practice.
Words like "alarm" or "distress" to mental health are incredibly subjective grounds for prosecution
Teachers need to understand what is lawful without fear of inadvertently committing a criminal offence. This legislation is disproportionate and makes it practically impossible to understand what actions might be criminal.
5. The legislation risks creating vexatious and disproportionate complaints
The legislation is incredibly vague and could expose teachers and schools to complaints simply for expressing lawful beliefs or making unpopular professional decisions.
Fear of investigation could discourage teachers from offering pastoral support or engaging with sensitive issues.
There must be appropriate safeguards against malicious or disproportionate complaints.