We have just been told a child in our school who has been dressing 'of the opposite gender' is now wanted to change their name and use different pronouns.
Where do teaching staff stand on this... I'm tolerable to using their preferred name but not pronouns and won't be going along that they are of the opposite sex.
New draft consultation from the government looks to side with those who are GC (but it is non statutory) and said no one "should be compelled to use these preferred pronouns"
Agreeing to a child's request to have others use different pronouns about them is a significant decision. Primary school aged children should not have different pronouns to their sex-based pronouns used about them.
For older children, schools do not need to specify pronouns to be used about each pupil and can decline a request to change a child's pronouns. Where a school or college considers a child's request, they should consult the child's parents and consider all the relevant factors as outlined above. Having considered these factors and examined all the evidence, schools and colleges should only agree to a change of pronouns if they are confident that the benefit to the individual child outweighs the impact on the school community. It is expected that there will be very few occasions in which a school or college will be able to agree to a change of pronouns. On these rare occasions, no teacher or pupil should be compelled to use these preferred pronouns and it should not prevent teachers from referring to children collectively as 'girls' or 'boys, even in the presence of a child that has been allowed to change their pronouns. Even in the exceptional case where safeguarding requires a school or college to take an alternative approach, schools and colleges should exhaust all other options, such as using first names, to avoid requiring other individuals having to use preferred pronouns. In these exceptional cases, schools or colleges should make sure that all relevant staff are aware of a gender questioning child's biological sex, to fulfil their safeguarding and legal duties.
Could work take action for not using the preferred pronouns? If when interacting with the child they are still treated with respect. The county council has form for taking staff to court but can't find an update on the appeal.