TL;DR: The long-awaited Transgender Schools guidance could force schools to take a gender-critical approach, that the government has called āParent Firstā. But it could also provide loopholes to make transphobic actions possible by teachers and schools.
The long-delayed school's guidance for trans kids was announced this week and will now go into a 12-week consultation. If it goes ahead, it will enforce a gender-critical approach to trans childrenās pronouns use of toilets and uniforms.
It says schools should make sure āsocial transition is extremely rareā, which could create a chilling effect similar to the devastating impact of Section 28ās ban on schools talking about people who are gay. So, what does it set out?
Transgender school's guidance principles 'are about putting āparents firstā'
The government says itās been drafted with the interim conclusions from the Cass Review in mind. It repeats the claim from the report that social transition is not a āneutral actā - which means to say, gender-critical and transphobic people contest the growing body of evidence that gender-affirming care is saving lives. As such, it sets out that schools should only consider any form of āsocial transitionā as an āextremely rareā option.
It also sets out that āparents should be involved in decisions about their childrenās lives, and that significant decisions affecting a childās future should not be made without parents being involved.ā
What does the Transgender school's guidance say about toilets, changing rooms, and sports?
The guidance, under consultation, sets out that ābiological sexā a phrase championed by gender-critical campaigners, is the overriding factor as to who can use what spaces, setting out that sports should āalmost alwaysā be split between boys and girls biological sex, as should changing rooms and toilets for those over the ages of 8.
Analysis: The implication of this could be that some trans pupils could be banned from using some toilets or taking part in sports.
What does the Transgender school's guidance say about changing names or pronouns?
It says pupils āmay be allowed to informally change their names if it is in the best interests of the childā, but crucially, only if the āparents have been fully consulted.ā
But, on pronouns, it says schools can decline to use a childās pronouns and bans primary school aged children from having different pronouns to their sex assigned at birth. It further sets out that teachers and pupils canāt be compelled to respect the pronouns of a trans student unless there is a safeguarding issue and āall otherā routes have been considered first.
What does the Transgender school's guidance say about uniforms?
It sets out that āin generalā a trans child should be āheld to the same uniform standard as other children of their sexā. The implication here pulls from the concept this guidance wants to prevent schools from allowing children to āsocially transitionā except in āextremely rareā cases. It does say schools may agree to changes or exceptions on a case-by-case basis but bans them from allowing any changes to swimwear.
Analysis: Worse than Section 28, because it will be harder to revoke
Itās clear why there has been a great deal of back and forth in the wording of this guidance. It toes the line just carefully enough to be able to claim to respect transgender peopleās rights within the Equality Act. But its impact, regardless of this, will be devastating.
It will send a message to a generation of young people that being trans is something to be ashamed of, to hide, to not recognise and will create an even bigger target on young trans kids' backs. The legacy of this non-statutory guidance will be even harder to unpick than Section 28ās because, unlike that law - there is nothing to repeal, and therefore, the hangover of any withdrawal or changes later will be more complex to communicate and confirm.
What can I do? This guidance now enters a 12-week consultation period - and so while some of the chilling effects it may have had already begun, it hasnāt been sent to teachers yet. If you have opinions on the guidance, you can respond to the consultation on GOV.UK

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