Furious Muslim parents withdraw children from school claiming their children are being brainwashed about gay rights in equality lessons

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An estimated 600 Muslim children have been withdrawn from a school in protest against lessons about homosexuality and gender equality.

The pupils, aged between 4 and 11, are being kept home from Parkfield Community School in Birmingham to protest the school's 'No Outsiders' programme, which teaches children about LGBT lifestyles. 

The children involved in the mass exodus represent about 80 per cent of the school's entire enrolment.

The Alum Community Rock Forum told Birmingham Live the pupils were pulled out of the classroom, because the school was 'undermining parental rights and aggressively promoting homosexuality'.

An estimated 600 Muslim children have been pulled out of Parkfield Community School in protest against lessons about homosexuality and gender

The children involved in the exodus represent about 80 per cent of the school's entire enrolment, which is 98 per cent Muslim

'Dialogue, petitioning and protests by parents have been repeated and arrogantly ignored,' the forum said.

'Our children, our choice - work with parents not against them.'

Friday's action comes after weekly demonstrations against the school's programme, including one that was attended by 300 parents and children last month.

The school's children joined the campaign against lessons on LGBT lifestyles at a protest last month

Some Muslim demonstrators said they would rather leave the UK than allow their children to continue attending Parkfield Community School. 

Some joined in with the chants and held placards reading: 'Education not indoctrination.' 

One child carried a handwritten sign which said: 'Let kids be kids.' 

Parents kept their children out of lessons for the first hour of the day in last month's protest

Police were called to the protest outside the primary school in the Saltley area of Birmingham

The school started its programme four years ago and says it should welcome people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender

Parents said teaching about LGBT equality at the school is an exploitation of child innocence

Some of the parents said they were not against homosexuality, but accused the teacher of promoting 'personal beliefs'

Parents' anger is aimed at the school's assistant head Andrew Moffat, who is behind the No Outsiders lessons. 

He created the scheme to teach children about the Equality Act and British values.

Pupils at the school – rated outstanding by Ofsted – have five of these lessons a year, covering areas outlined in the Act: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. 

The programme was first piloted at the school in 2014 and is now also taught at dozens of other schools in the country.

Mr Moffat, who is in a civil partnership, was made an MBE for services to equality and diversity in education in 2017. 

He is currently shortlisted for a 'world's best teacher' award.

He resigned from a previous teaching post at another school after a row with Christian parents over lessons challenging homophobia – and is now facing even more vocal complaints from parents at Parkfield, where 98 per cent of the 750 pupils are said to be from an Islamic background.

Parents' anger is aimed at the school's assistant head Andrew Moffat (pictured), who is behind the 'No Outsiders' lessons

Organiser Amir Ahmed uses a loud speaker to address the crowd of more than 300 people

Protester Mariam Ahmed, whose four-year-old daughter attends the school, organised a petition against the No Outsiders project

Mariam Ahmed, whose four-year-old daughter attends the school, organised a petition against the No Outsiders project. 

She said: 'What they are teaching is not right, they are too young. There are nine parts of the Act and they only seem to be focusing on one, homosexuality, and that is wrong. They need to have an ethos which reflects the area.

'It's not just because we are Muslims, there are Christians here too. We don't have a vendetta against homosexuals and we respect the Act. 

'We respect that Mr Moffat is gay and we are happy for him to teach.' 

One father at the school, whose six-year-old daughter attends the school, said his wife wanted to leave the country rather than let her daughter attend the lessons. 

The man, who did not want to be named, said: 'My daughter has been asking questions my wife did not know how to answer.

'She is too young for this. A family who live near me have already returned to Pakistan because of it.'

Some of the parents said Islam did not accept homosexuality, while others said they were not against it, but accused the teacher of promoting 'personal beliefs'. 

Parents and children demonstrate outside the Parkfield Community School in Birmingham

Mr Moffat said he tried to meet parents, but stopped when they became 'personal and aggressive'. 

He has described receiving threats from parents online. He told the BBC: 'I have felt very threatened ... it's been a challenging couple of weeks. 

'However, what keeps me going is the support from the school which is absolutely brilliant, Ofsted [and] the city council.'

Currently, Year Five children, aged nine and ten, are taught about puberty and reproduction. 

Some of the protesters at the school in Birmingham said Islam did not accept homosexuality

Many under-11s currently learn about relationships in Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) classes but this is not mandatory.

The Government is, however, bringing in new compulsory 'relationships' education which will include teaching tolerance of same sex couples and transgender people.

Parkfield Community School has said it wants pupils to be 'accepting and to welcome anybody'.

In a statement it said it was 'disappointed' by the protest but had 'no plans' to drop the 'successful' No Outsiders programme.