New rules forcing teachers to tell parents if their kids want to change gender will be published in weeks, Sunak says
NEW rules forcing teachers to tell parents if their kids want to change gender will be published within weeks.
PM Rishi Sunak yesterday hit out over a report revealing safeguarding principles around trans issues are routinely disregarded in secondary schools.
He insisted it was vital parents “know what’s going on” and ordered the Department for Education to speed up new guidance by the end of the Easter holidays.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan will also write to school heads this week to remind them parents must have access to the materials their children are being taught.
But there is anger in No10 that guidance on working with transgender pupils — promised more than a year ago — has yet to be published.
The Policy Exchange think-tank report found many schools kept quiet when children questioned their gender identity or expressed a wish to change their gender.
Some staff argued telling parents would breach confidentiality.
Research found only 28 per cent of the schools polled were reliably informing parents as soon as a child questioned their gender.
A similar number were not maintaining single-sex toilets and 19 per cent did not have single-sex changing rooms.
The report concluded: “Our research reveals there to be a safeguarding blind spot when it comes to the issue of sex and gender.”
Yesterday it also emerged software used by schools lets pupils choose a wide range of pronouns.
In the ESS SIMS records management system, kids can ask to be known as they, Zie, Sie, Ey, Ve, Tey and E.
Mr Sunak was asked about the damning report during a visit to the UK Atomic Energy Authority in Oxfordshire yesterday.
He told reporters: “I’m very concerned about these reports.
“For me, the safety and well-being of our children is of paramount importance.
“And I’ve also been clear that parents must be able to know what is being taught to their kids in school, especially in these sensitive areas.
“That’s why we’re already reviewing the RSE (relationships and sex education) guidance to make sure that it is age appropriate for children.
“But what I’m also going to say today is that for the summer term we will make sure we publish guidance for schools so that they know how to respond when children are asking about their gender.”
Mr Sunak acknowledged it is an issue that must be treated with care.
The Prime Minister went on: “These are really sensitive areas.
“It’s important that we treat them sensitively and that parents know what’s going on and we’ll make sure that happens.”