Times on Sex Matters survey: 8 in 10 teachers say their secondary school has trans or non-binary pupils

The government's Cass report calls social transition not a neutral intervention. School teachers do not have the rights to intervene in this way without parental consent.

Similarly, from Safe Schools Alliance

"By following a policy of affirmation without parental knowledge or consent, schools are opening themselves up to potential legal action for not abiding by statutory guidance and being in breach of the Education Act 1996."

"There is no long-term evidence-base to support the affirmative approach to gender and the Department for Education does not support schools’ social transitioning of a child without their parents’ knowledge."

Social transition is the biggest indication of further transition. Which can include puberty blockers, cross sex hormones and surgery.

Socially transitioning a minor is not a neutral act and you should not start it without parental consent.

‘Doesn't "goes by" usually mean:

Full name: Thomas
Goes by: Tom’

Sometimes. But sometimes the child might be addressed by (and by everyone) by a middle name, or they might use their mother’s surname after a split from an abusive parent. There are circumstances where it’s useful.

But yes, it can cause issues as well.

Grammar: You need to leave your own issues out of this and think of your actual responsibilities. These are children. Schools have no right to withhold information relevant to their healthcare from their parents. If there is a known risk factor in the home, the DSL should take a view accordingly and perhaps contact SS. Otherwise, this is medically relevant information and the parents have every right to it.

This has nothing to do with sexuality. Gender distress dysphoria is a healthcare issue.

@GrammarTeacher , is it "outing" to tell loving parents that their child is claiming to be transgender. And yes, I know not all parents are loving- which is where safeguarding rules should apply.
That's not the same as outing their sexual orientation- which I agree is not your information to share unless you have safeguarding concerns. Gender identity is not sexual orientation. It just isn't

It is NOT my job to out students to their parents. It is my job to report any safeguarding concerns. I can think of several cases in my career when it would have been dangerous for that student to have been outed to their parents.
My school didn't put me as bi to my parents. I am hugely glad of this. I am also glad they ignored section 28 and happily normalised homosexuality.
Support and encourage students to be open with the parents, yes. Wholeheartedly. Put them without consent, no.

‘For example if they take children on a trip or if a child has an accident in school, which name is covered by the insurance? If they use the new name, would the insurer say "well then your insurance is invalid"?’

Most schools have the ability to record a legal name and a ‘goes by’ name. Which is sensible in some situations.

[quote GrammarTeacher]@rogdmum - I'd hope it was higher than 20% there are safeguarding implications of informing families. Refer the student on for support, refer to DSL, do NOT take it upon yourself to out your students.[/quote]
There are serious safeguarding implications of NOT informing parents.

Gosh, only 80%? Seems low. My son is 18 and I don't know any school locally that doesn't have trans or nonbinary pupils.

Section 28 wrongly prevented schools from teaching the indisputable fact that some people are exclusively same-sex attracted.

There is nothing indisputable about the idea that everyone has an innate ‘gender identity’.

There are also issues of age appropriateness across the spectrum of teachings about relationships, sexuality and gender. I might be accused of ‘heteronormativity’ for saying I don’t want my kids taught about anal sex when they’re five, but I don’t want them taught about PIV sex either. They’re too young. I might be perfectly happy for my 4 year old child to learn that some families have two dads, but I really don’t want them learning about commercial surrogacy.

Additionally, I believe that female autism/ADHD presentation should be more widely discussed and disseminated in schools (and society in general). If people understood how anxiety/sensory issues/fear of change/not fitting in manifested themselves in teenage girls (E.g. anorexia, gender dysphoria), we could help them understand their feelings and thought processes, rather than letting them find out for themselves from people on TikTok who don’t have their best interests at heart.

Social contagion. Instead of telling girls to undo their boundaries, the boys need to be told to get comfortable with gender non-conforming boys.

Schools can’t change anything without parents’ permission. At least the school I teach at can’t.

We have seen (female) children who wished to have a ‘boy’/neutral name earlier in their school career ‘revert’ to their given name by Year 11. My feeling is that this is increasingly a ‘pre-teen’ fad, and the older children who presented as gender-questioning earlier in their school career are now distancing themselves from it somewhat.

"I hope they recommend stopping teaching transgenderism in schools."

Perhaps that might appear in section 28......

‘If a school has serious safeguarding issues about any child, nor law safeguarding processes should be followed, but in the vast majority of cases, parents should be fully involved in anything that is designated an “active intervention”.’

This is right. If a DSL talks to a child about their feelings - not making ANY promises about secrecy - and the child is frightened, or discloses previous abuse or something that might suggest a credible risk of abuse (the parent disapproving of social transition isn’t abuse), then the DSL should contact SS.

Most parents don’t abuse their kids. The gender lobby thrives on this secrecy and narrative that sets kids against parents. The vast majority will simply be concerned and want to help.

What powers do a school have to change a child’s name in registers and refer to them as a different name. As the Cass report states that ‘affirmation’ is not a neutral act what powers do a school have to do this? Isn’t it assuming the rights of a parent and I thought there were only very limited circumstances where anyone other than a parent could do this and all require third party authorisation, e.g. court order to do so? I’m not thinking about a policy issued by an LEA but where the authority to do it comes from e.g. Childrens Act. I sign so many consents re trips, photos, providing medical treatment in an emergency etc etc but nothing that extends to this. Thank you

[quote GrammarTeacher]@rogdmum - I'd hope it was higher than 20% there are safeguarding implications of informing families. Refer the student on for support, refer to DSL, do NOT take it upon yourself to out your students.[/quote]
What dangerous advice.

*nor law should be “normal”

[quote GrammarTeacher]@rogdmum - I'd hope it was higher than 20% there are safeguarding implications of informing families. Refer the student on for support, refer to DSL, do NOT take it upon yourself to out your students.[/quote]
As mentioned by tabby I’d suggest having a good read through the interim Cass report, though I don’t believe you will. Social transition is an active intervention and teachers are not qualified to make the decision as to whether or not to support it without parental involvement (and bearing in mind their parental rights as well).

In our case, we found out via a SAR that the school supported our daughter’s social transition behind our backs (although they did tell her 17 year old brother “in confidence”) because “We just saw a young person who had had many issues in the past and we thought this may have been an answer.”

The “many issues” had been extensive bullying and ostracisation over the course of her first year at the school.

Our experience is fairly typical and I know many many parents where their gender distressed child has suffered from bullying or trauma (physical and/or sexual) . Keeping the support of a social transition from parents is not OK. If a school has serious safeguarding issues about any child, nor law safeguarding processes should be followed, but in the vast majority of cases, parents should be fully involved in anything that is designated an “active intervention”.

*collude!

I thought the government have already asserted that teachers can no longer collide in socially transitioning children without their parents knowledge.

Because concealing that from parents obviously is a safeguarding issue, GrammarTeacher. Not sure why you think the opposite?