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

[musicalfrog]

What answer would they be given by the teacher?

No.

They should be told no it's not possible as it isn't.
Outward appearance may be changed but at a cellular level they are still male or female

"No, changing sex is impossible. Sex is based in your DNA and it is not possible to change that. Some people believe in gender, which is a social construct based on male and female stereotypes, they believe that gender can be changed by wearing different clothes, having a different haircut or just presenting as the opposite sex visually, however they may interpretthat to be. It can be taken as far as having surgeries to physically align gender with sex, but that person still remains the sex they were born biologically. It will always be important to acknowledge their biological sex when it comes to issues like health care'

Is the answer I would give.

I'm encouraged by these answers! Is that a standard response set by the education board @Ghib ?

Oh just seen your edit.

Going to post this question in Education too.

Absolutely not.

I'm not a teacher.

I'd be throughly pissed off if they said yes, I would be taking it further.

The answer should be no but whether it is in reality....

I'm a teacher but not ks3

The question needs to be more specific. Are we talking any / all creatures or more specifically mammals / humans?

@musicalfrog ,

Absolutely not and teachers could get in trouble for giving it, sadly.

When I was teaching and got asked this, I definitely didn’t dwell on it. I did, however, say that scientifically sex was determined chromosomally and, therefore, couldn’t be changed.

But I sure as hell, in a science lesson, wouldn’t have started talking about gender and hair!

Surely the answer has to be specific. These are kids we're talking about!

I know of one science teacher that would says yes.
And several that would refuse to answer,
But the school has been bought and the head leads the way.

So there is no official guidance then.

If animals were mentioned it would have to be made explicitly clear that we are not clown fish. 🤡 🐟

This is where we are - where some teachers feel obligated to lie to children about the possibility of changing sex - even science teachers!

Hopefully as the wheels continue to fall off and the trans extremists are (oh so slowly) being removed from being able to influence schooling and child healthcare, teaching facts and science will be restored everywhere.

The discussion in the other thread (in Education) is both fascinating and enlightening.

How about 'Like, no - duh!!'
Seriously, the idea that a teacher teaching science has to mull over whether or not to give a factually-correct answer to a genuine enquiry from a student is horrifying.
I'd like to think that the background music is changing somewhat, and more teachers would be willing to just say no, knowing that there's more support out there these days.

no. in mammals at least you can neuter/castrate/otherwise remove some of the obvious visual indicators of sex, and if you really sink resources into it you can do things to add visual indicators that are suggestive of the other sex, but this isn't 'changing' sex by any sensible definition.

For humans, no.
Any teacher answering 'yes' is teaching dangerous ideology, not science, and should be sacked.

I'd hope they'd say no.
Perhaps a, "vagina", can be made, but it's not an actual vagina.
You can no more make a functional vagina that you can a functional kidney.

No, but some people like to pretend they have

Honestly, honestly? Internally, the answer would be no, but I imagine many teachers would be scared of repercussions of not following the party line. Those that shout loudest are often the most aggressive.

No.
Changing sex is not possible.

Of course they should say 'No. (Then if more detail required) But some adults can choose to have surgery to look like the opposite sex. Those people are called transgender.'