How does transgender work in schools

[catkind]

This is one of the most concerning aspects of the current trans campaign for me.

I remember how embarrassing I found it as a teen having to change in front of my female peers. Having a male in there, however trans identifying, would have been a weekly horror. I'm not sure I'd have been brave enough to opt out on my own as I wouldn't have wanted to offend the person.

Have anyone's kids experienced this with a school following Mermaids type advice to let the trans child choose, and if so what did they choose? If transgirl chose to share with girls, did many girls then ask for alternative changing?

Yes. Can't say much but the second the teenager wanted to change we were instructed, as teachers, that this child was the new sex: toilets, overnight stays (one of which I was in charge of) and with no additional risk assessments.

Bloody shocking. Have kids in the same school so saw it as a parent and as a teacher. Child has not had any actual medical appointments beyond GP and is on a waiting list for the gender clinic. In the meantime they have swapped teams. No school uniform issues or PE (does not take part) but shared showers etc on a school trip. Fortunately, separate, lockable shower cubicles and toilets but communal sinks.

Several trans children in our school -- all transboys, meaning girls identifying as boys. (I still get that the wrong way round if I'm not thinking it through.) All have chosen to change in separate facilities rather than using the boys' or 'girls' loos and changing rooms.

I don't know how the school trip is going to work but I imagine they will again get to choose, and will choose to sleep separately.

Anecdotally, I get the impression that female trans children do tend to choose to change separately, and I think this ought to be the simple middle ground that schools should insist on as their reasonable accommodation to the child's new identity.

Do the girls also have the option to change in separate facilities the same as the transgender person does or is this option only available to trans person ?

Anecdotally, I get the impression that female trans children do tend to choose to change separately, and I think this ought to be the simple middle ground that schools should insist on as their reasonable accommodation to the child's new identity.

Yes I think that would be the best compromise for everyone's comfort. And I would imagine what most trans children would choose anyway for changing. And I'd hope sleeping accommodation? Tinlegs, was there shared accommodation on your trip?

Sports must be really hard. Would not want physiologically male kids playing most sports against physiologically female ones at secondary age. But not many sports are played unisex in secondaries I don't think - or are more these days?

Toilets also hard from the point of view that I'd expect most girls wouldn't care in most cases but a small number might be unhappy, and maybe not feel able to say they're unhappy because of being few.

Uniforms I feel like should be unisex anyway, don't think that's a problem for many people, except for some schools being rather backwards - e.g. boys are not allowed to have long hair at one of our local secondaries which I think is terrible.

I'm also thinking back to people I was at secondary with and there were a few boys who were quite - not sure the right word, creepy, attention-seeking? I could imagine one or two of those saying they were trans just for the fun of intimidating girls and teachers not being able to say no to them. If it was a child like that I think more girls would be uncomfortable even sharing loos. Even with children I think the possibility of malicious self ID is something that should be considered and taken into account in safeguarding.

Can't say much but the second the teenager wanted to change we were instructed, as teachers, that this child was the new sex

Who was advising the school on this? Did any parents complain?

Legally, children cannot transition, and girls have the right to single sex bathrooms and changing. So this is extremely concerning.

If a school is not providing single sex toilets and showers they are breaking the law.

Separate toilet and washing facilities must be provided for boys and girls aged 8 years and over pursuant to Regulation 4 of the School Premises (England) Regulations 2012, which falls within the exemption provided for in Schedule 22 of the Equality Act 2010.

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/719398/Gender-separation-guidance.pdf

The trans students I have taught used staff toilets, which were single cubicles. One shared with their best friend on a trip, who was fully aware of the transition, as were their parents.

Where a child transitioned during their time at the school, we were told their chosen name and we used it. We also used their choice of pronouns.

DD, interestingly, was all for the 'transboys are boys, and you old people don't understand', until one of the odder and smellier boys in her year turned up in the final week of term with his hair dyed blue, whereupon she came home going, 'What if Conor says he's trans? Shoot me now!'

I don't think there's a workable solution that says 'transgirls should be allowed to change with the girls unless they're Conor'.

But not many sports are played unisex in secondaries I don't think - or are more these days?

If it's just PE lessons my 15 yo DD has the choice of single sex or mixed activities. The competitive sports are single sex though.

That sounds eminently sane Fake Madonna. Informed consent. My only slight reservation even with informed consent is what if someone mucked around and came home pg. Not sure many schools would normally let girls and boys share a room even with informed consent. Which I'd also put under safeguarding.

This is my first time post on here but I have been following this topic. This came up with my 11 year old dd recently and I asked her what she would do if she entered a female bathroom and saw a man standing there. Her answer was that even if the person looked like a man it could be someone who felt they were a woman so she wouldn't say anything or leave in case she hurt someone's feelings. I could see a lot of teenage girls feeling uncomfortable in the scenario of changing in school but saying nothing as they are conditioned to be kind. Of course in school I wouldn't want any child to be uncomfortable but there has to be some sort of middle ground here.

They were the same biological sex.

Biological is a bit redundant, obvs. But just for clarity.

If it's just PE lessons my 15 yo DD has the choice of single sex or mixed activities. The competitive sports are single sex though.
That sounds ideal as long as trans child could be told to choose the unisex option (assuming they wouldn't want their physical sex option) so that girls and boys could have a single sex choice if they wanted or needed. I think that would be okay as a single sex exemptions/reasonable adjustment kind of thing wouldn't it?

But trans child would have to be able to compete as their birth sex if they wanted to do competitive sports, in all fairness. So maybe they would want to do PE with birth sex too in order to practice the sport they want to compete in?

It all sounds like a minefield. Really hope schools can get proper advice. It must be hard to identify what is sound advice given how many self declared experts there are.

Oh I see FallenMadonna. Even more sensible option then.