Scottish Government closes petition to axe controversial school trans guidance

Unlike all the other parties that whipped their MSPs to vote for the GRR bill, the Tories allowed a free vote and 3 voted for. One of those sits on the petitions committee. However one of the SNP MSPs who broke whip and voted against the GRR bill also sat quiet on the committee whilst they dismissed the petition…

Don’t bother giving me credit. I am just pointing out what others have.

I can't work out why some Tories are going for it, though. That's really concerning.

Yep, and Safeguarding Our Schools also pointed out the info graphic in their petition and linked to the MBM blog. Completely ignored by the Petitions Committee as well. 😡

(shall also steal that point but will give you credit- this is very much taking vulnerable children and making them political footballs because “devolution”.)

https://murrayblackburnmackenzie.org/2021/08/19/use-of-statistics-in-the-scottish-government-publication-supporting-transgender-pupils-in-schools/

On the other hand, a tiny survey of selected adult transgender people and their mates in a Canadian city, some of whom were homeless, and the relationship between these adults and their parents, is totally relevant to preteens in Scottish schools and must be included in the school’s guidance….

🎯

Ha! I might steal that when I go back to him with my next round of questions!

“Reviews of evidence that smoking is harmful were not conducted in Scottish schools so are not relevant to children smoking in Scottish Schools”

I’m struggling to make sense of it.

While yes, both healthcare and education are devolved and so Cass does not automatically apply to Scottish healthcare policy, to say it doesn’t apply because of devolution is making our children political footballs. Given how often we heard (including from Pam Duncan-Glancy) how important it was to follow international best practice, to dismiss Cass out of hand because of devolution is quite stunning.

However, he’s not even dismissing Cass because healthcare is devolved. He’s dismissing it because he has this bizarre idea that it is based on the English and Welsh education systems. He doesn’t understand the basic fact that Cass is not based on any education system. It is based on the best evidence based approaches for the care of gender distressed children. The education setting not “system” only comes into play because social transition is a psycho social intervention and considered a treatment - a treatment which other people in the school setting participate in. Nothing to do with the English vs Welsh vs Scottish education system.

Plus he doesn’t seem to know that education is devolved in Wales.

And finally, the SNP have repeatedly said they will consider the findings of Cass. Just today, Shirley Anne Somerville told Parliament they will “closely consider” Cass. (Let’s ignore the fact that we all know she doesn’t actually mean it. Let’s take her at face value for the sake of my argument). Is Foysol saying the Scottish Labour position is that Scottish Labour won’t or that it shouldn’t be considered?

Its one of the most illiterate and incoherent responses I’ve ever had from an MSP.

Does he mean the Cass Review as a medical/health matter doesn't apply to Education? I can see the reasoning there, to an extent. And so long as you try furiously hard to avoid joined up thinking at all costs, that makes sense.

And another quick update.

Foysol Choudhury flat out says the Cass Review does not apply to Scottish schools because education is devolved.

Ie our children are not entitled to the same level of safeguarding as their English counterparts.

“Since Education is a devolved issue in Scotland, and we have a different education system, the findings of the Cass Review are not applicable in Scotland as it was not conducted based on the Scottish Education system.”

Staggering. Facts and reality and child safeguarding and even reports not completed yet are going to be abandoned if they threaten alternative reality.

Yes. Voters look and learn.

Pretty much

What a failing by adults

Thanks, rogdmum. This is really concerning. Why on earth woudl they choose to disregard Cass? It seems reckless in the extreme. That's a suggestion of how Labour would be in power, I suppose.

Just a quick update to say Foysol Choudhury refused to answer my questions about the EHRC and why he was happy to ignore the fact that the Scottish Govt guidance now misrepresents the EA and misquotes the EHRC.

Instead, I got a cut and paste job which included the statement that the Cass Review “has no significance to the provision of educational materials in schools in Scotland.”

Ie he dismissed Cass.

Which is an odd thing to say given that just today the DfE said:

“The upcoming guidance will help safeguard pupils & crucially ensure that parents are involved in decisions relating to their child, as the Cass Review has made clear that any degree of social transition could have significant consequences for children.”

So the question is why are our Scottish children different? Why are they less deserving of safeguarding?

I have responded to Foysol to say that he did not answer my original questions plus here’s another two I would like answered.

I’ve tweeted it all here but will attach a screenshot of his cut and paste response to me

https://x.com/rogdmum/status/1736727423670985102?s=61&t=8CxL28ZCFDq66yuIWhY6_Q

Thanks, rogdmum. Will do.

The Scottish Conservatives are using their debate time tomorrow to discuss Scottish education:

https://news.stv.tv/scotland/conservatives-accuse-scottish-government-of-neglecting-education-system-ahead-of-debate

Safeguarding Our Schools (Scotland) who launched the petition to remove the ScotGov school guidance are suggesting people write to the Scottish Conservative Shadow Education Secretary, Liam Kerr, and ask him to include gender ideology in the debate:

https://x.com/sos_scotland/status/1734538611758899683?s=61&t=8CxL28ZCFDq66yuIWhY6_Q

Tweet text is:

”We’ve written to @LiamKerrMSP to ask the @ScotTories to cover the school guidance during their welcome focus on education this week

The guidance poses a risk to children & their families, as well as dismantling trust between parents & schools

We urge parents to contact them too”

Liam’s email address is [email protected]

I’m in this really surreal position where my SNP MSP is the only one to have shown me courtesy and compassion and taken actual action on my behalf. I only recently contacted them in a “I no longer give any fucks about how I’m treated” way and am now kicking myself for not having done so years ago. It was the last thing I expected. My Scottish Tory and Labour MSPs have been useless.

Deciding that the Cass report isn’t relevant to Scottish children is surely reckless in the extreme. Does anyone know if these men could be personally liable with respect to any future harm done in Scottish schools since the evidence is there, they just chose to ignore it?

My MP (SNP) no longer responds to any emails. Ever. He is busy inserting himself into every photo opportunity he can find. Lot of posturing to be done.

Foysol is one of my MSPs so in theory he should respond to my email asking him why he stayed silent.

I’d emailed Liam Kerr (shadow education Secretary for the Scottish Tories) to raise concerns about Jackson and I copied Jackson into the email. Liam has responded to say he can’t speak for Jackson but he’s sure Jackson will come back to me “in due course”. We’ll see if he does.

I’ve also emailed Maurice Golden and Fergus Ewing but I am not a constituent of either of them so while I hope they respond, they are under no obligation to do so.

David Torrance will be a lost cause and is not worth writing to, IMO.

I fully agree they should be publicly asked why they support transitioning children - the problem is who will do it up here given that the decision was driven through by a Scottish Tory MSP!

I do think these men need to be publicly asked what it is about transitioning younger children and setting them on a pathway to infertility and bodily harm that they find so appealing?

Well, there was only 4,800 signatures (which is not bad at all for a Scottish petition) but otherwise, yep that sums it up perfectly