Finally: Gender questioning children: draft schools and colleges guidance

[WarriorN]

Gender questioning children: draft schools and colleges guidance

consult.education.gov.uk/equalities-political-impartiality-anti-bullying-team/gender-questioning-children-proposed-guidance/

This is the consultation.

Guidance document is linked at the bottom of the consultation.

(Not sure if these links work:)

consult.education.gov.uk/equalities-political-impartiality-anti-bullying-team/gender-questioning-children-proposed-guidance/supporting_documents/Gender%20Questioning%20Children%20%20nonstatutory%20guidance.pdf

consult.education.gov.uk/equalities-political-impartiality-anti-bullying-team/gender-questioning-children-proposed-guidance/supporting_documents/Guidance%20for%20Schools%20and%20Colleges%20%20Gender%20Questioning%20Children%20Consultation.pdf

Am I reading this right? Pretty much every part of transitioning has been banned, with sex-based data, single-sex provision and single-sex sports. Is it Christmas already???

It's terfmas 😎

It's also the anniversary of JK's infamous tweet! 4 years!

Very clear on pronouns not being used at primary age level

Sounds good

FFS q9 of the consultation response form:

1. Is the gender you identify with the same as your sex registered at birth?

[ ] Yes [ ] No [ ] Prefer not to say

It's clear that changing pronouns at secondary level is a big deal with lots of discussion and many adults involved. And schools can refuse.

More gate keeping

Robust stuff! Excellent!

Feathers Will Be Ruffled.

It will be interesting to see Labour's reaction.

Teachers are already telling Gillian Keegan they will be ignoring the guidelines.

x.com/gilliankeegan/status/1737055920897548607?s=46&t=A2fpFNgDRyXF2d6ye97wEA

I wonder if they think about parents seeing tweets knowing schools won’t follow guidance

The guidance is well written I think - clearly holding the line about facts and reality and centring children's needs and safeguarding. I ilked this about pronouns:
"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".

Brilliant, this was a key question for me

Operation Let Them Speak

Can only think, based on their previous drivel, Labour will reverse all of this after the next GE.

So unless the country stops them coming to power, this is probably a false dawn for vulnerable children's well being - and parents chances to protect them.

I mean if teachers don’t follow the guidelines/ guidance then surely they will be subject to some kind of sanction. They can’t just refuse with no consequences can they?!

I don't know; I think the more the specific safeguarding issues are spelt out and the litigation against the dfe comes through, they will find it harder to reverse the premises set out in the guidelines which are very reasonable.

Especially as nhs training materials are moving back to evidence based, not affirming immediately and more exploration.

In reply to Hurrydash

I don't disagree @Hurrydash but anyone seeking to reverse this will have to formally do so. That's if this document is adopted after consultation, of course.

Schools are expected to follow non statutory guidance (it actually states that in the document) and IF they choose not to then they must be able to evidence why very clearly.
So abandoning safeguarding this group of vulnerable children because adult transactivists are cross really won't cut it.

I recall shoulds and musts in my dealings with educational guidelines many moons ago. The revolting teachers no doubt will point at the shoulds not being musts.

We shall see.

But I am pleased nevertheless with what we have been presented with today.

I suspect that all the teachers / Headteachers who've been on the airwaves reinforcing their determination to keep transitioning children without parental consent and insisting that teenage girls must share changing rooms with sad boys will find it quite difficult to justify their opposition to this guidance.

It's brilliant that they use the factual term 'gender questioning children' instead of the loaded and inaccurate term 'trans children.'

Now schools that referred to children as 'trans' will hopefully update their terminology.

That guardian article is really useful; it's in the Guardian (many teachers read the guardian), it demonstrates the reasoning some of the "revolting teachers" have, which is all stone wall bs, and it spells out exactly why, using Bayswater quotes, this guidance is needed.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/dec/19/englands-schools-must-be-involved-in-new-transgender-guidance-union-warns?CMP=ShareiOSAppp_Other