‘Much awaited’ schools’ trans guidance delayed until Christmas

The Government’s repeatedly delayed trans guidance for schools is now expected to be released by Christmas.

Responding to a question at an education event, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said she hoped the “much awaited” guidance would arrive “before Christmas” but added it would be followed by “a long consultation” on it as “there’ll be lots of opinions”.

The Department for Education guidance has been expected to clarify that schools should not treat gender-confused children as if they were the opposite sex. In March, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged that it would be released “for the summer term”, but it has been delayed amid reports of disagreement within the Cabinet.

‘Extreme caution’

In a written statement, Keegan previously emphasised: “In the meantime, schools and colleges should proceed with extreme caution.

“They should always involve parents in decisions relating to their child, and should not agree to any changes that they are not absolutely confident are in the best interests of that child and their peers.

“They should prioritise safeguarding by meeting their existing legal duties to protect single sex spaces and maintain safety and fairness in single sex sport.”

Safeguarding

Safe Schools Alliance’s Tanya Carter said: “We cannot understand why it’s taking so long to clearly instruct schools to follow existing safeguarding frameworks, and to sanction those who fail to do so.

“Single-sex spaces and working together with parents are both long established safeguarding principles in this country, and we do not know why they have been abandoned at the behest of political lobbyists.”

The Christian Institute’s Head of Education John Denning warned: “While the Government vacillates, children are left at the mercy of a wild west in schools, where misunderstandings of the law and disinformation in ‘advice’ from groups with their own agenda advance to fill the vacuum.”

Biology

In September, the Equality and Human Rights Commission said that teachers who affirm a gender-confused pupil’s biological sex and name are not automatically breaching the law.

Following a review of the “inaccuracies” in its technical guidance for schools, the equalities watchdog removed a section claiming: “Not using the pupil’s chosen name merely because the pupil has changed gender would be direct gender reassignment discrimination.”

In addition, its updated guidance emphasised that schools must provide single-sex toilets for children on the basis of biological sex.