BBC article on schools trans guidance

[WarriorN]

Trans guidance is needed in schools, parents tell BBC www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-66709052

Oh I have, I pointed the DSL to guidance from SSA and Transgender Trend. I quoted the Equality Act, spokesperson soundbites from the cabinet etc. I think it's been quietly dropped but I'm not sure. The DSL just said "thank you for your concerns" and told me he'd consider all cases on a case by case basis. Then some months later I noticed he'd subsequently added pronouns to his signature, but that might be unrelated, whatever. As I say I'm exhausted.

I hope/trust this will all be dropped one day in the future and we will look back in horror. But firstly I know it will not be for at least a decade, I think people are deluded if they think this is on its way out any sooner. Secondly, we complaining difficult-women will not be thanked or acknowledged for speaking up. Maybe the big headliners will (as they justly deserve) but someone like me, part-time teacher nobody, will just be thought of by my school as a bigot troublemaker even when the harmful fad fades away. Ffs.

Sorry I'm angry today.

My school is not quite as far down the line as yours Mummy08m but I am in a very similar position. Shit, isn't it.

What an utter fucking fucked up disaster

Schools doing DIY self ID: indeed as documented in the Policy Exchange report Asleep at the Wheel.

I was more curious as to how a lawyer would advise that there's a legal obligation for a school to treat a child as the opposite sex, on demand. The Equality Act means you can't discriminate against someone on the basis of 'gender reassignment' - I can't see how that can be interpreted to mean that you must pretend a child has changed sex as soon as they Say Words. And a lawyer ought also to be pointing out that the same legislation gives other people legal rights too, and that eg you might be discriminating against other children by putting a boy in the girls dorm. (As well as pissing all over safeguarding, but worryingly, many schools seem to be more worried about children's feelings than their safety!)

I think their lawyer might be Stonewall self identifying as a lawyer?

"Teachers told her they later consulted lawyers and were concerned that refusing her child's wishes, on the basis of Rachel's lack of consent, could be considered discrimination under equalities law."

You also can't change sex till 18. So I can't see how that holds up well either

Worry that schools would enable a child to effectively “socially transition” and be aware of the child having a need without involving that child’s parent. I can’t think of any other similar situation where a parent would not be given significant information about their child WITHOuT there being a very clear safeguarding reason for that information being withheld.

It's literal insanity.

@HipTightOnions @Mummy08m Please know that there are many many parents who are really grateful to you for speaking up and whatever you can do. Every question, every suggestion that 'Hang on, this might not be as rainbow sparkly brilliant as all that' will make it easier to eventually pull back. I think it's atrocious the way schools have been hung out to dry on this issue.

Thank you so much worrieddragon, that's very kind.

I wish parents knew what's been happening in our school. They are listened to far more than teachers are!

Interesting that the first child is awaiting a neurodiversity assessment and the second is autistic 🤔

With respect, though, it's not impossible that if there's a couple of trans kids in each secondary school 2/3rds of teachers could - at some point each term, or school year - find themselves teaching a trans pupil.

You wouldn't need a lot of trans kids for all secondary teachers to cross paths with them at some point.

(Ignore me if I'm missing the point.)

Thank you, that's good to hear.

I suppose I assume that most parents (of non-trans-identifying students) are like my dh - mildly oppose most of these new initiatives in theory but mostly think it's petty stuff that doesn't matter, not worth getting worked up about. My dh warned me not to write to the DSL about the changing rooms because it might come back to bite me and I'd feel like I have to leave the school. Luckily it hasn't yet. But I'm always "getting it wrong": using so-called gendered language (aka English), having my views exposed in other ways. For example, our year 12 Pshe scheme of work is so gender-heavy. I'm constantly being "caught out" when kids ask me questions; I'm a science teacher so if they ask me about DSDs I'll answer scientifically.

I know that my previous form group (now graduated from year 13) knew me to be gender critical and radical feminist although I tried to hide it and never use those terms at work. There were just too many opportunities in the PSHE content for them to ask me questions like "what would you do if you met a man in a public toilet" or asking me my views on Andrew Tate's latest doings. But I actually think they, as a group, respected me more for it. But given a different form group I might get into hot water. I'm on eggshells at work and I hate it.

We need to get education & health back under control when it comes to safeguarding and the equity act, then rest will follow. Those are the two most captured services.

I’m rethinking my comment about it being balanced in the light of very good points made here. I really feel for you @Mummy08m. I’m only on the periphery of education now thank goodness. I can’t imagine the strain working in your kind of environment.

It does read as balanced at first purely as it includes two different stories.

It's what's not said that is the issue

Your story is appalling Mummy08m.
Quite right that you should protect your career but do consider an anonymous whistle blowing referral to Genspect or Safe Schools Alliance?
I'd suggest Ofsted but they're in the embarrassing position of having been a Stonewall Champion until recently so will no doubt wish to avoid highlighting their culpability for this nonsense. 😑

I know of a number of schools , my daughter’s former school included, who have obtained legal advice on the issue. The sticking point has been the EHRC Technical Guidance to Schools which is currently being reviewed by the EHRC but in its current form makes it clear that to not treat a child as the opposite sex is discrimination under the PC of GR under the EA.

This guidance was published in 2014 and has not been updated and was very heavily lobby group driven. It is only in the past 18 months or so that it has been questioned. Legal opinion on the discrimination question has, in my experience, been based on this guidance.

Conveniently, these legal opinions obtained by schools tend to ignore parental responsibility, children’s rights to appropriate healthcare etc and only focus on discrimination (which may well not hold following whatever update the EHRC makes).

Schools should also have a look at the NHSE MindEd modules which were issued yesterday and take a cautious approach towards social transition. While not DfE guidance, in the absence of such guidance, the module aimed at the education sector might open schools’ eyes a bit that it’s not as straightforward as affirm the child as soon as the request.

https://www.minded.org.uk/Catalogue/Index?HierarchyId=0_59819&programmeId=59819

Schools in our area take their guidance from the Local Authority. The guidance says that if a child does not want parents to know he/she has socially transitioned the school should not inform parents.

Hugely worrying I think. And where the LA got the guidance from I do not know.

I was thinking whistleblow @Mummy08m

Thanks, I've ranted about my school on here before haha it's so reassuring that there are some people out there who see my pov!

I think they might have quietly dropped the changing rooms thing... very quietly though. So the main recent thing is the Bs. I don't think that's worth a whistle-blow as I can't see the direct harm. It's just crackers. Like I have a friend who uses the phrase "what would the daily mail say" abbreviated to WWTDMS and I mutter this to myself on almost a monthly basis at my job...!

But if they keep the changing rooms thing in the face of quite clear recent guidance from the government then I think I'd push harder.

I've just seen this on twitter though @HipTightOnions and @Mummy08m

Updates to the school census collection data to be sex not gender.

x.com/lehain/status/1701958154546733559?s=46&t=A2fpFNgDRyXF2d6ye97wEA

It’s an interesting article. One thing they seem to be saying is that when some kids think they are trans they are actually neurodiverse. I’m not sure what to think about that. There were 8 kids with gender changes in the DCs secondary school. Only one was neurodiverse. I hadn’t made a connection.

Yes, the field that used to be called "gender" (and has always contained M or F) has simply been renamed "sex" which is great.

But they have quietly added "gender identity", "pronouns" and "pronouns only used in school".

I'm ok with that tbh.

It means data is being recorded.

That might mean in future you can see how many trans kids there are in each school, what the demographic profile is and potentially whether there are correlations with high rates of SEN or social service involvement. It might allow us to see patterns which, to date, haven't been formally identified.

If we see patterns we can ask questions. Asking questions is a good thing. It encourages critical thinking.

I'm really not ok with a "keep pronouns secret from parents" flag!