Teachers and pupils must not be punished for using wrong pronouns, trans clampdown warns

TEACHERS will no longer be punished for using the wrong pronouns for kids, a sweeping trans clampdown will rule today. 

And staff will be told to approach parents immediately if their child wishes to identify as the opposite sex in all but exceptional cases.

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The long-awaited trans guidance is being published on Tuesday[/caption]

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Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has been wrangling over the guidance[/caption]

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan is today publishing the government’s long-awaited guidance for dealing with pupils claiming to be trans. 

PM Rishi Sunak is braced for a row with some of his Tory MPs expected to complain it does not go far enough.

The advice will warn schools there should be a “presumption against” letting pupils behave as the other gender but stop short of a blanket ban.

It will say that teachers and fellow kids should not face sanctions if they use a child’s wrong pronouns, unless they are doing so in a bullying manner.

Ministers will insist their intervention embeds a “parents first” response where mums and dads are consulted straight away on their child’s desire to socially transition.

This will only be overruled in extreme circumstances where parent involvement could leave the child vulnerable, heads will be told.

And there must be single sex spaces like toilets and changing rooms for biological boys and girls.

On pupils mixing in sports teachers will be to use their judgement based on the risk of physicality. 

While potentially fine for primary school boys and girls to compete together, there is obviously a greater threat for older pupils especially in contact sports. 

A government source told The Sun: “This Government firmly believes parents should be involved in decisions about their children and much more caution should be taken, so this guidance means there should effectively now be a presumption against social transitioning in schools.

“Alongside this we’re giving much needed certainty and protection to teachers and pupils so they will no longer feel forced to use different pronouns for gender-questioning children, and won’t face a sanction for not doing so.

“It is a complex and sensitive issue but we’ve taken the time to strike the right balance.”

The trans guidance – which is not legally-binding – was due to be published in the summer but was shelved at the last-minute and has since faced repeat delays.

Mr Keegan has been locked in a behind-the-scenes row with Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch who had pushed for it to go further.

However Attorney General Victoria Prentis said an outright ban on social transitioning would require changing equalities laws and so the proposal was canned.

It risks inflaming another bruising Tory row as right-wing MPs could claim the guidance is not strong enough.

Meanwhile some liberal teachers have vowed to ignore ministers’ demands they inform pupils’ parents. 

On a chat room one school staff member said: “I’m a gay teacher and I’d refuse to do this if a child came to me in confidence.”

The full paper is called Guidance for Schools and Colleges: Gender Questioning Children.