If a child asks in KS3 science class "is it possible to change sex?"...

[musicalfrog]

What answer would they be given by the teacher?

Exactly. Kids are impressionable. My fear is they come across someone who is transgender getting a ‘sex’ change and they say ‘well my science teacher said you can’t change sex…’

No.
They have changed gender.
They haven't changed their genetics/chromosomes

I'm a secondary teacher (not science but I have a social science masters degree).

Nobody has ever changed sex.

There are two sexes.

Some people have a DSD; they are still one of two sexes.

The school I teach at is only allowed to teach facts, not opinions. This should be the same for every secondary school across England and Wales.

Of course people know the euphemism "sex change" and plenty of people full well understand it means cosmetic surgery to give an approximate appearance of the opposite sex. It's not changing anyone's actual sex.

Giving children accurate information and clear explanations in a science class isn't intolerant or disrespectful.

Why are you comparing sexuality to transgender ideology?

It’s not pedantic in a science class, to give specific answers. Kids want to understand this stuff and should be allowed to ask perfectly reasonable questions.

The OP said 'in a science class'. If the teacher chose to answer, that a precise scientific answer was given, which is, you can not change sex.

In my kids school, kids have asked and the teacher answered honestly talking about chromosomes. She told them if they were referring to gender, that was something for PSHE lessons, not biology. She's a fantastic teacher.

I hope the answer would be No. Then if the question was a distraction from a kid who didn't want to cover photosynthesis or osmosis, that would be the end of it. If it was tangentially relevant to the lesson then more of a discussion about why they thought it might be. No KS3 kid is unaware that trans people exist, we just need to make them really clear that regardless of how you identify if you haven't had medical intervention, a male can impregnate a female. The gender stuff is PHSE, the sex stuff is biology. Intercourse is both!

They'd be right though so I don't know what the problem is. The term sex change is a colloquialism.

Sorry, my first paragraph should read,

The OP said 'in a science class'. If the teacher chose to answer, then a precise scientific answer should be given, which is, you can not change sex.

Do you mean "should be" as in there is existing legislation that states this, or "should be" as in you wish it was?

If I was asked this question I would answer it honestly.

No one has ever changed sex.

We should be teaching kids the truth. Not lying to avoid causing offence .

Tolerance is about understanding. There is no tolerance in lying to people. I absolutely support embracing transgender people but lying to children about sex doesn’t help transgender people.

Fantastic to hear!

Ah ffs because it’s used so commonly and it’s a complex thing that I think it’s unfair to just say flat out ‘you can’t change sex’. Yes technically that is true and I’m not saying it’s not. But given the misuse of sex change to mean gender reassignment, I think it’s only fair to explain it so that it’s not taken out of context given it’s relevance and controversial nature in current society.

One option would be to talk about some of the sex-changing behaviour in the animal kingdom - https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/animals-that-can-change-sex

and plants: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170110094606.htm

Biology isn't just about human biology after all.

Not suggesting the question is dodged entirely, but this gives it a much broader context.

let me ask you this - if someone followed up and asked but I said on the news X had a sex change….what do you say then?

ps this is a relevant follow up question because of how often the term sex change is incorrectly used

Thanks to all the teachers on here engaging with the question. I feel much more hopeful about my own children entering KS3 knowing that the truth isn't completely outlawed!

The point of school is to teach the correct information. In my experience there have been 2 things my kids primary schools taught wrong. I've seen them wrongly cited elsewhere a lot as well but those people were not claiming to teach! One was the Equalities Act, the other is that Henry VIII had 2 divorces. If the concepts of gender reassignment and annulment are too complicated to teach, why are they on the KS2 curriculum?

See I think the reasons you give are precisely why we need to be very clear with children. How do they know what ‘sex change’ means of adults don’t tell them? It needn’t be so controversial if we could talk about the reality - some people wish they were the opposite sex but they can’t be, so they take on the stereotyped attributes of that sex. These people are as valuable as everyone else, but if we pretend they really are the opposite sex, then we run into all kinds of problems for them and others.

ah only teachers are qualified to comment. Maybe post this on a teachers board so. We were brought up to know about sex changes, gender reassignments etc. I’m happily married to a man with 2 kids and I’m glad I’m A LOT more tolerable than most people I know. I don’t understand and never will understand why people are afraid to tell explain to children that people can and had have had ‘sex changes’ I.e. gender assignments.

be interested to see if anyone answers my question regarding if a supplementary question is asked

But they get operations and are reassigned their gender and are functioning individuals of the opposite sex, so they can successfully transition

@Bedheadready I think @Beginningless has answered your question. A clear explanation of what the phrase "sex change" means, without being rude or intolerant or disrespectful or anything like that.

It's fascinating that you think you're the only person here who understands what a sex change is and what gender reassignment is, the difference between sex and gender.... yet you initially said you would tell a child that yes, people can change sex.

I went to school with a girl and it was very very clear there was something missing in her life. She transitioned. He is now living as a man and I honestly couldn’t imagine him any other way. He’s a fully functioning man and he’s so much happier and fulfilled and I never fully understood ‘being born in the wrong body’ until I saw his transition. It’s amazing now how his life is. I wouldn’t dare say he’s not a man, because he is. The only sad part is I live in a very judgemental and backward part of Ireland and he had to leave and relocate to a more liberal place to be accepted.