Schools giving transgender girls boys names without telling parents - Mail link

[nevertrustaherdofcows]

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9582641/Schools-giving-transgender-girls-young-13-boys-names-without-telling-parents.html

I would have strongly considered changing school if that happened to my child age 14 and possibly moving area so they had different friends etc. Age 15-16 things are different and moving school has added problems. I'd worry about bullying and social influences.

So shocking that schools believe these illegal guidelines - and that the DfE & safeguarding charities are so intimidated by the trans lobby that they repeatedly fail to point out that only the courts can remove or limit parental rights.
If social services want to restrict parental rights they have to seek permission from a court. Otherwise parents retain all rights. It is long overdue that parents take legal action against a school for doing this.

"The 'new' names were used in the classroom, and on pupil registers and official communications from school authorities."

Does this mean they would use those names on GCSE and A level exam documents without a legal name change?
I would have thought that could be extremely problematic.

I note the characteristically mealy mouthed response from Brighton council. They endorse the Allsorts schools toolkit, and when challenged about schools following it, shrug and say 'it wasn't me, a bigger gender non-conforming child did it'

There's no such thing as a legal name change in UK law. In UK law your legal name is whatever you go by, so long as there's no intent to deceive, so you could use any name you genuinely are known as on your exam papers and it is not problematic. You may choose to sign a deed poll, but that is not mandatory, and in any case is simply recording your deed – change of name – on a piece of paper with straight edges and signed by a witness to your intention.

The legal problem is the parental rights.

Really? I'm happy to stand corrected but it seems surprising. Applying for a job requiring DBS and proof of ID involves producing many documents, my DD had to show her birth certificate, her passport and her educational certificates among other requirements for a job in the NHS and a reference from her school. I'd have thought it may be problematic if there are discrepancies in the names used.

www.gov.uk/change-name-deed-poll

"You do not have to follow a legal process to start using a new name. "

We knew this ages ago. The same tool kit also makes a point of guiding teachers to help kids with SN to access clothing etc

It also tells teachers they can allow the kids to use the changing rooms etc of their gender. Including dormitories on residential trips.

I've emailed 2 mps to inform them of this and neither has addressed it

Of course it will be problematic to have your GCSE certificate in other names. It might not be illegal but you definitely will face problems if you start having different legal documents in different named. How will you be able to prove they are your GCSE certificates? Especially if you later changed your name back or to anpther name?

Only wanted to add that piece of information. I don't want to derail this conversation or argue with anyone, so I will leave it there.

I'm sure I remember that the DfE guidance issued last year specifically says you can't name change a child under 16 without informing parents.

I think it's great this is getting into the mainstream press. We know this is happening, but most parents don't.

I think the situation is actually worse that the article describes. At least in those situations the parents were informed. I have seen discussions between teachers about remembering to switch back to she/her and the old name at Parents' evening so the parents don't find out. The argument is that the parents are transphobic so they shouldn't 'out' the child to them.

That's the problem isn't it ValancyRedfern ? Teachers have been fed the lie that parents are 'transphobic' if they raise the slightest reservations about any of this, including drugs and surgery and therefore removing parental rights is the right thing to do.
It's pushed by some dubious adult groups with no understanding of child/adolescent development, safeguarding or parenting. Because of the 'trans tops everything' ideology and the bullying associated with it, teachers forget or are too scared to raise the grounded cautious messages of safeguarding.
I have always sought to protect schools from vengeful parents believing that children are rarely well served by media pile ons. But in this instance, we need schools to be forced to justify this illegal stance. They need to be more scared of the courts and parental litigation than they are of the bullying they'll get for prioritising safeguarding and parent child relationships.

@jakalaka

There's no such thing as a legal name change in UK law. In UK law your legal name is whatever you go by, so long as there's no intent to deceive, so you could use any name you genuinely are known as on your exam papers and it is not problematic. You may choose to sign a deed poll, but that is not mandatory, and in any case is simply recording your deed – change of name – on a piece of paper with straight edges and signed by a witness to your intention.

The legal problem is the parental rights.

You have contradicted yourself by saying that there is no such thing as a legal name but that the name you go by is your legal name.

It is absolutely true that you can use any name you like and that it is fully legal to do so, but if you want you name officially (legally) recognised you need to officially change it. This is relevant when you need to prove your identity, so you would want exam certificates etc in your legal/official name as that is probably the most important piece of evidence that they are yours.

Sorry Jakalaka reading that back (after posting!) it sounds a bit arsey and I didn’t mean it to. Also I think what I wrote was really unclear... In essence, using a name that is not your officially recorded name, other than casually, can cause problems if you need to prove you are who you say you are.

It’s coming to a head and it will be a halt for Mermaids, Allsorts and Stonewall soon in terms of their influence on schools. Whilst I’m sad that I can no longer vote for Labour or the Greens, I suspect the current government in England is about to scale right back on this travesty and those who pushed it will be held accountable.

“If social services want to restrict parental rights they have to seek permission from a court. Otherwise parents retain all rights. It is long overdue that parents take legal action against a school for doing this.”

This is v similar to an issue highlighted by a parent in Scotland who has obtained a legal opinion from a QC & sent to to John Swinney to challenge the same concerns in Scotland where the LGBT Youth Scotland guide was funded by scotgov.

This is an exert from the times story on it:

LGBTYS has stated that article 16 of UNCRC ensures a child’s right to privacy and that “if a young person comes out as transgender there is no immediate need to inform their parents or others”.

O’Neill argues that this interpretation ignores the wider context of the UNCRC, which emphasises the importance of family life.

He also argues that article 8 of the ECHR establishes a child’s right to privacy “within their family and home, not from their family and home . . . parents have the right to be kept informed by schools about matters relating to their child’s development and wellbeing.

“No child has a universal or absolute veto on what can and cannot responsibly be discussed with or revealed to their parents by their school.”

Link here to article

Thanks TheShadowyFeminist
Confidentiality is a really complex issue in schools and the idea that lobby groups are advising schools simply to keep confidences and in many cases, actively transition a child in secret from their parents highlights so many 🚩 🚩 it's unbelievable.

Children removed from their parents do terribly in all measures - that's why there's so much targeted monitoring and intervention in looked after children's lives. The idea that sexual politics lobby groups have been able to dictate practice for schools is frankly terrifying.

How does a transgender child/school cope with PE lessons?

There are so many issues there.

All those trans awareness training schemes treat parents as repressive enemies from whom the children need protection. 😕