My son’s school insisting he calls NB teacher Mx

[Justme56]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/08/01/my-sons-school-insisting-he-calls-non-binary-teacher-mx/

‘Confusion about the rights of staff to have their identity recognised, is undermining the rights of children to be protected from dogma’

Forgive my ignorance but who do you even pronounce it?

Something between ‘Mucks’ and ‘Mix’. It’s easier to pronounce than Ms tbh.

Neither is MX.

If the teacher is female then 'Miss' should be perfectly fine.

He's male.

I think the crux of the article is that the parents have been told that this man believes he has neither 'a male or female identity', hence the use of Mx and 'they/them' pronouns. It is ultimately about the conflict of rights.

Its not a conflict of rights, its how seriously the school is taking safeguarding. If i were a parent Id be asking the school how a male teacher attempting hiding his sex fits into their safeguarding policy.

'Sir', then.

The Teacher doesn't 'think they are non-binary'. Because in law non-bianry does not exist. It is utter mince.

Come across this in the Telegraph and remembered this thread

https://archive.ph/BfCky

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/08/14/non-binary-teachers-gender-neutral-pronouns-phillipson/

Eta context. Philipson says Mx is not compulsory if a teacher requests it.

Would a school support a teacher who didn't Mx a parent though. To be consistent I think they'd have to.

Oh, and they're still devising the guidance.

Its not a conflict of rights, its how seriously the school is taking safeguarding. If i were a parent Id be asking the school how a male teacher attempting hiding his sex fits into their safeguarding policy.

This is the problem; not the Sir/Miss/Mx/Teacher/Prof/Dr honorific.
It's the hidden curriculum of teaching children not to believe their eyes and ears and instincts. That adults are whatever they say they are. That males can opt out of being male and should therefore be trusted as one might trust a non-male.

It is a huge safeguarding fail.

Dd had a new teacher listed on her timetable as Mx a few years ago at secondary, at the time she said in her first lesson with the new teacher, she thought they were non binary. They’d started the lesson saying I’m Mx Name but you can call me Miss or Sir, I don’t mind it’s up to you. Apparently most kids called them Miss at that point as they looked and sounded more female than male. A couple of years later and she says the teacher is now mostly called Sir, and is now listed as Mr on timetables etc.

The kids have deduced that the teacher has gradually transitioned to male, they don’t seem to be remotely bothered or interested though, and changed to saying Sir themselves before school started listing the teacher as Sir. If anything I think the teacher and school may have waited until the kids did this themselves before they changed to Mr. It was a total non event, they’re a very good teacher and well liked, v good with the teens from what I’ve heard. I can imagine it could be totally different with kids of primary age though.

Schools should be respecting the inherent right of everyone to express themselves as they see fit, as long as that isn't harmful to others, by coercion children through threats of punishment by not calling a teacher by their preferred pronoun goes against their own policies and Section 406 of the UK's Education Act 1996 prohibits the promotion of partisan political views in schools and requires a balanced presentation of opposing views.

The discussion surrounding "gender ideology" relates to the argument that promoting certain ideas about gender identity in schools constitutes political indoctrination, and is therefore prohibited under this section of the Act making it illegal for schools to force children to use transgender pronouns against their will.

That’s why boundaries are important, the core issue mainly is that it will involve a potential conflict between a teacher's right to express their protected belief in gender identity theory and the rights of children, their parents and colleagues who may hold different views.

The legal aspects of this are complex hence why recently schools were instructed not to teach about "gender identity" as a factual concept under new government guidance for relationships, sex, and health education (RSHE).

Bridgett Phillipson Secretary of Education has made her position clear on the matter and clarified that teachers can ask to be called "Mx" but cannot insist on it, meaning students or staff should not be sanctioned for refusing to use the transgender teachers preferred pronouns.

If children are being punished, or being threatened to be punished because they choose to or mistakenly use the wrong pronouns, then this is seen as gender ideology, which goes again the Government stance on the matter and the school could face legal ramifications.

If your children have encountered punishment, it is advisable to consult the school's official policies and, if necessary, seek clarification from the relevant education authorities, such as the Department for Education in England.

Bridgett Phillipson Secretary of Education has made her position clear on the matter and clarified that teachers can ask to be called "Mx" but cannot insist on it, meaning students or staff should not be sanctioned for refusing to use the transgender teachers preferred pronouns.

Thats adultifying (is that a word?) children.

Adults can be polite to others by choosing preferred pronouns because adults can understand that calling a man a woman doesnt make that man a woman.

Safeguarding, not the egos of teachers, is the most important part of school. Adults calling men women in schools and offering children the choice to conform or not is blurring the meaning of sex, and is disastrous for safeguarding. And its expecting children to process events in adult ways.

The kids have deduced that the teacher has gradually transitioned to male, they don’t seem to be remotely bothered or interested though, and changed to saying Sir themselves before school started listing the teacher as Sir.

And this demonstrates the problem. No, this women has not transitioned to male. That's impossible.

When i was at school, if a female teacher started to appear and sound more male, we'd question what was going on, not simply accept that shes become male or more male. In the scenario above, children haven't deduced anything, they have been groomed to believe its possible to change sex.

Are you in Scotland, by any chance? Love a good bit of dialect, my Wenglish is quite good 👍

I don't see the issue. Children and adults should call people by their chosen name.

Really? I wonder how many biologically male people choose to be called Mx? In my experience it is biologically female people who choose Mx. So it is meaningless as a title for someone who thinks that by saying they are non binary somehow makes their genitals pixillate so that we all know they are non binary and understand that they and their undifferentiated genitals are a little bit special. Because being “non binary” is an even more meaningless claim than saying you have changed sex.

By all means live your life by not succumbing to gender stereotypes, and feel free to challenge them in other people if that’s what you need to do, but we live on a planet where every living thing, plant and animal, is binary, it’s the way it is.

I am indeed!

The one that I came across (indirectly) was definitely a bloke. There were laminated nameplates for the shared classroom. Mx's had a cartoon picture of a man with a beard.

No. It's a title which indicates that the person bearing it doesn't wish to declare their sex when they give their title. Just as Ms is a title indicating the person bearing it doesn't wish to declare their marital status.
I was aware of the title long before non- binary was a thing, and though many or most people using it today probably do identify as non binary that is a separate issue. I would have no problem using Mx for anyone who wanted me to, whereas I would have a problem using incorrect pronouns.

Maybe teachers should have a genderless title associated with their profession as do "Reverends", "Doctors", "Professors"?

Yep 👍

Non binary doesn’t have any meaning in law does it? You could change your gender on NHS / passport etc. but there’s no third option.

I actually find it difficult to get my head around. How can you be non binary in a binary classification. You either are one sex or the other or sex is no longer binary and therefore non binary has no meaning.

I think it would be much easier to have a generic professional title used for both sexes.

because of things like this

I had to turn a deaf ear when one boy said "Mx [Name] says we've made him no well, but we ken he's away on holiday..."

if Mx hears this, what will they say? Do you think they are a) likely to ignore it 2) for there to be much wailing and gnashing of teeth iii) the child who used a male pronoun will be disciplined?

i use it when i have to add something (or computer says no) when i'm, say, ordering something online (first day covers for eg, i am registered on the Royal Mail Website as Mx Sir Basil (where Sir is my first name and Basil is my second name)

People sending me a first day cover don't need to know if i am male or female. My OB/GYN however, does.

Interesting that you chose a title that indicates the sex of the person to argue your point...

Comrade?