In recent years, Townhall has reported how school districts have been busted for helping students transition genders behind their parents’ backs. Republican leaders, like Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, have responded to this by passing measures that require parents to be kept in the loop during discussions at school about their child’s gender identity.
This week, The Telegraph reported that primary school teachers in the United Kingdom are being told to allow students to change their gender without informing their parents. There is currently guidance in place advising teachers do the opposite, the outlet noted (via The Telegraph):
An analysis of more than 600 school equality and trans policies reveals that up to three-quarters misrepresent laws protecting sex and gender, with some implementing rules such as letting boys use girls’ toilets and changing rooms if they say they are a girl.
One trust, which includes a number of Church of England primary schools, has even advised teachers to assist girls using breast binders while on school trips and allow students to sleep in bedrooms which match their “gender identity”.
The policies remain in place despite long-awaited draft government guidance published in December which states that schools should not accept all requests for social transition and should involve parents in any decision that is made.
Townhall previously reported how the draft document released by England’s Department of Education stated that teachers do not have to address their students by “preferred pronouns” and that “transgender children” should be treated with “appropriate skepticism.”
In addition, the document emphasizes that schools and colleges do not have to, and should not, accept all requests from students who want to “social transition.”
"Proper use of this guidance means social transition, in practice, should be extremely rare when the appropriate safeguards are put in place and the child's best interest taken into account," the draft stated, adding that parents should be kept in the loop with these discussions.
In an interview with the outlet, Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said that he hoped draft guidance on transgender issues in schools would come “imminently.”
“At the heart of this we need to rebalance our approach and make sure that parents are put at the heart of our approach,” he said.