Advice: schools socially transitioning children without parental knowledge or consent.

[Libby55]

Hi,

The school I work in is socially transitioning children by changing their names and pronouns without informing parents. Adults working in school are supposed to keep this a secret when communicating with parents. I believe this is a safeguarding issue and that the school is harming children. This is something I know little about and I'm asking for help because I'm looking for an organisation that specifically campaigns against schools harming children in this way. My colleagues share my concerns but are afraid to raise their concerns. My union seems to have adopted gender identity politics. I have to do something: I can see children being harmed. If any of you know of a teacher's group that is lobbying against the practice of socially transitioning children without parents' knowledge or consent, please let me know. I would like to get involved.

Rather than socially transitioning children without informing parents, what should schools be doing? Like many feminists I fear that I'd have developed rogd had such an option been open to me as a child. And my parents were horrible to me, they were the primary source of my misery and so the idea of getting special treatment that was hidden from them would have been extremely attractive.

@Clymene Would you be able to cut and paste the post here? I don't have a facebook account and am not able to read it.

And yet again I despair. Louder for those of you at the back 'SAFEGUARDING IS EVERYONE'S BUSINESS'. The problem appears to be that safeguarding is being abused so that it fits the narrative of the adults; that's not what safeguarding is about, it is about the children. It doesn't change according to the problem, the key principles remain the same, and adults twisting this are part of the problem.

Some basics for those who appear to be unsure:

We don't encourage children to keep secrets with adults, however nice and well intending those adults maybe.

We do not step outside our trained area of expertise and make decisions about what information should be shared and what shouldn't. If you worry that sharing information with a child's parent might result in abuse, then THAT is a safeguarding concern. You've identified it, now you make a safeguarding referral.

We do not make unilateral decisions about children without involving their parents who have parental responsibility. Full stop.

Safeguarding is not a pick n mix. Schools should not be selecting parts which suit them and discarding the bits that don't. I cannot think of another situation where a school would choose to employ this approach. Why are young people who question their gender identity being offered less safeguards than their peers? Safeguarding is there for all children, no exceptions and I cannot fathom why anyone would want any less.

Yours Sincerely,
One horrified Social Worker

And if a school tried to insist that they must affirm a child as the opposite sex, even ScotGov (who push affirmation and social transition) agree this is not the case. They recognise that this is an option schools can take- I.e. it is a choice.

@Outhere

And yet again I despair. Louder for those of you at the back 'SAFEGUARDING IS EVERYONE'S BUSINESS'. The problem appears to be that safeguarding is being abused so that it fits the narrative of the adults; that's not what safeguarding is about, it is about the children. It doesn't change according to the problem, the key principles remain the same, and adults twisting this are part of the problem.

Some basics for those who appear to be unsure:

We don't encourage children to keep secrets with adults, however nice and well intending those adults maybe.

We do not step outside our trained area of expertise and make decisions about what information should be shared and what shouldn't. If you worry that sharing information with a child's parent might result in abuse, then THAT is a safeguarding concern. You've identified it, now you make a safeguarding referral.

We do not make unilateral decisions about children without involving their parents who have parental responsibility. Full stop.

Safeguarding is not a pick n mix. Schools should not be selecting parts which suit them and discarding the bits that don't. I cannot think of another situation where a school would choose to employ this approach. Why are young people who question their gender identity being offered less safeguards than their peers? Safeguarding is there for all children, no exceptions and I cannot fathom why anyone would want any less.

Yours Sincerely,
One horrified Social Worker

All of this.

@Outhere 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Here you go @Libby55:

We are currently inundated with emails from parents raising concerns about schools. The main themes are #RSE that breaches #safeguarding, political indoctrination & mixed-sex toilets. All schools have a complaints process, we have linked how to use it in the comments.

If your concerns are regarding safeguarding you can report schools to [email protected]. It is not acceptable for all toilets to be mixed-sex. This is a #safeguarding failure. Transitioning your child without discussing with you is also a safeguarding fail.

You can also whistleblow to @educationgovuk. Teachers can do so anonymously (we are hearing from an increasing number of teachers).

The statutory guidance (link in comments) from Department for Education is mostly good, we are challenging the DfE on the few bits which aren’t. This document is a legal requirement for schools.

Additional guidance from DfE for schools on how to implement the statutory guidance. If your school is breaching this, use the complaints process & contact DfE. (link in comments)

The 1996 Education Act legislation on political issues in schools. If your child’s school is only giving them one side of a debate they are breaking the law. Again use the complaints process. (link in comments)

The Equality Act 2010. If your school blames something on the ‘equality act’ ask them which section they are referring to. Please also note the definition of ‘sexual orientation’ in section 2.12. If a school has redefined this they are breaking the law. (link in comments)

This has all be confirmed by a recent PMQ to Gavin Williamson answered by Nick Gibb. (link in comments)

Unions National Education Union, NAHT - Campaigning to improve schools for everyone, NASUWT are you ensuring that your members have correct information around the law? Are you ensuring the information you put out regarding #RSE & inclusion is correct? Are you protecting your members?

Thank you very much to everybody who has emailed us. We will get back to you all, in the meantime, we hope this thread helps.

Thank you for joining us in #safeguarding children.

Clymene - can you source this? Is this a union?

@PamDenick

Clymene - can you source this? Is this a union?

She was c&p a safeschools alliance link

@Clymene Thank you!
@PamDenick It's from a facebook post mentioned above:

www.facebook.com/2235615356752705/posts/2900959046884996/

If you want any of the docs they reference as being in the comments, happy to link those too but there are loads and not sure all are relevant to you

@Outhere

And yet again I despair. Louder for those of you at the back 'SAFEGUARDING IS EVERYONE'S BUSINESS'. The problem appears to be that safeguarding is being abused so that it fits the narrative of the adults; that's not what safeguarding is about, it is about the children. It doesn't change according to the problem, the key principles remain the same, and adults twisting this are part of the problem.

Some basics for those who appear to be unsure:

We don't encourage children to keep secrets with adults, however nice and well intending those adults maybe.

We do not step outside our trained area of expertise and make decisions about what information should be shared and what shouldn't. If you worry that sharing information with a child's parent might result in abuse, then THAT is a safeguarding concern. You've identified it, now you make a safeguarding referral.

We do not make unilateral decisions about children without involving their parents who have parental responsibility. Full stop.

Safeguarding is not a pick n mix. Schools should not be selecting parts which suit them and discarding the bits that don't. I cannot think of another situation where a school would choose to employ this approach. Why are young people who question their gender identity being offered less safeguards than their peers? Safeguarding is there for all children, no exceptions and I cannot fathom why anyone would want any less.

Yours Sincerely,
One horrified Social Worker

Repeating this accurate and powerful post again.

Frightening how many posters believe that safeguarding is optional for this category of children.

@AfternoonToffee

Bloody hell, that Mermaids exchange, so children may be unable to express why the feel like they do as they do not have the language, but they supposedly can consent to life long treatment.

This.

Bloody hell, that Mermaids exchange, so children may be unable to express why the feel like they do as they do not have the language, but they supposedly can consent to life long treatment.

And they're suicidal if they don't get affirmation and treatment, but transitioning at school is a minor thing that parents don't need to know about.

This is presumably the end game. We've already had judges openly prioritising the demands of trans sex offenders over the safety of women prisoners.
Now it's time (judging by some comments on here) to remove safeguarding from an exceptionally vulnerable group of children because adult activists say it's in their best interests? Thus leaving these children alienated from their parents to be supported by ..?????

@MrsOvertonsWindow

This is presumably the end game. We've already had judges openly prioritising the demands of trans sex offenders over the safety of women prisoners. Now it's time (judging by some comments on here) to remove safeguarding from an exceptionally vulnerable group of children because adult activists say it's in their best interests? Thus leaving these children alienated from their parents to be supported by ..?????

@MrsOvertonsWindow

Your last question is very pertinent. I would say children left alienated will be offered 'support', online, by predatory adults.

These safeguarding concerns are very obvious and the keeping of secrets between adult teachers and pupils/children, is a big red flag. It sort of reminds me of a certain cyclist who was trying to get children to secretly join their "glitter family", and of a certain celebrity involved with the NSPCC, encouraging children in emotional distress to contact them online.
Meanwhile it sems as though this thread has been picked up by the twitterati.

mobile.twitter.com/ramendik/status/1411451799437987840

If you plan to out those poor children I mean this in the most impolite way; You are not qualified, nor human enough to be educating children.

No need to be impolite. The thing is, I recently spoke to a parent who discovered her child was being socially transitioned at school. She found out because another parent mentioned it to her.

If the school is openly socially transitioning a child at school they should make the parents aware, at the very least, because schools exist in communities and what happens at school will soon be widely known.

If the school believes parents to be abusive then that should be raised as a safeguarding issue.

It's illegal to out a trans kid to their parents, because parents are often abusive to LGBTQIA kids. So the safeguarding approach is not to out them to someone you don't know is going to treat them well.

NEU guidance - ""it would be a criminal offence for someone who has been told that someone is trans in the course of their professional role to disclose this information without the consent of the student"
neu.org.uk/advice/supporting-trans-and-gender-questioning-students

Gender critics have recently lost 100s of thousands in legal cases challenging what the law clearly states. Don't start endangering children by following this bankrupt ideology.

No apologies for repeating this knowledgeable post again from a social worker Outhere about safeguarding - but it's evident that some people are commenting with no understanding of what safeguarding in schools is:

Louder for those of you at the back 'SAFEGUARDING IS EVERYONE'S BUSINESS'. The problem appears to be that safeguarding is being abused so that it fits the narrative of the adults; that's not what safeguarding is about, it is about the children. It doesn't change according to the problem, the key principles remain the same, and adults twisting this are part of the problem

Some basics for those who appear to be unsure:

We don't encourage children to keep secrets with adults, however nice and well intending those adults maybe.

We do not step outside our trained area of expertise and make decisions about what information should be shared and what shouldn't. If you worry that sharing information with a child's parent might result in abuse, then THAT is a safeguarding concern. You've identified it, now you make a safeguarding referral.

We do not make unilateral decisions about children without involving their parents who have parental responsibility. Full stop.

Safeguarding is not a pick n mix. Schools should not be selecting parts which suit them and discarding the bits that don't. I cannot think of another situation where a school would choose to employ this approach. Why are young people who question their gender identity being offered less safeguards than their peers? Safeguarding is there for all children, no exceptions and I cannot fathom why anyone would want any less.

You really really think that what happens at school stays at school? If a child is in so much danger that the parent can't be told, the parent then hearing about it on the grapevine isn't exactly going to be better for the child.

@PumpkinSpiceWoman

But this is nothing to do with safeguarding. Maybe get a real hobby or something?

Socially transitioning kids in secret and putting them on a pathway to medicalisation is a safeguarding issue

@ool0n

It's illegal to out a trans kid to their parents, because parents are often abusive to LGBTQIA kids. So the safeguarding approach is not to out them to someone you don't know is going to treat them well.

NEU guidance - ""it would be a criminal offence for someone who has been told that someone is trans in the course of their professional role to disclose this information without the consent of the student"
neu.org.uk/advice/supporting-trans-and-gender-questioning-students

Gender critics have recently lost 100s of thousands in legal cases challenging what the law clearly states. Don't start endangering children by following this bankrupt ideology.

And if the student told the teacher that they were buying drugs off the internet to self medicate, then what?

That NEU guidance