Government guidance is set to be published this week
The government’s long-trailed guidance on handling gender transition in schools in England is due to be published this week, according to reports in the Guardian.
According to the Guardian, the guidance will not recommend that teachers in England should automatically inform parents if pupils come to them with questions over gender identity. However, the guidance is expected to maintain a recommendation that schools should inform parents if pupils tell staff they want to take any steps towards transitioning. These steps can include something as simple as using a different name or gender pronouns.
Critics of the proposed guidance have suggested that this kind of guidance would amount to forcing teachers to out trans pupils to their parents or guardians. This presents a risk to some children who may not be in a household supportive of their transition.
As a result, campaigners have branded the guidance a ‘new Section 28’ in reference to the homophobic legislation introduced by Margaret Thatcher’s government. Section 28 banned the ‘promotion’ of homosexuality in schools and wasn’t repealed until 2003.
The Guardian reports that the government had hoped to take a much more conservative approach, but there were questions as to whether doing so would be in compliance with equalities law.
In recent months, the Tories have consistently taken a hard line in opposition to trans rights and inclusion. Alongside restrictive guidance on gender in schools, this has included vetoing the Scottish Parliament’s attempts to modernise the process for trans people having their gender recognised in law.
It is widely understood that this is part of a political strategy in the run up to the next general election. The deputy chairman of the Conservative Party Lee Anderson has said the Tories are likely to fight the next election on a “mix of culture wars and trans debate”.
Chris Jarvis is head of strategy and development at Left Foot Forward
Image credit: Foreign and Commonwealth Office – Creative Commons
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