Sunak Decides To Allow School Children To Continue Changing Gender

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has dropped proposed plans to ban school children from changing genders, for fear that the move will lead to a further split within the Tory party.

As part of the proposed plans, headmasters were set to be given new guidance on how to deal with pupils who claim they are trans, with government lawyers saying new laws would need to be implemented to stop children from being allowed to swap genders.

While new guidance is still being drafted, the proposed legislation needed to ban so-called ‘social transitioning’ has now been abandoned by Sunak and is not expected to be included in the King’s Speech in November.

“We’re looking at all options to ensure we have clear and strong guidance that protects children and empowers parents and teachers. No decisions have been taken,” a government spokesperson confirmed.

Conservative Education Secretary Gillian Keegan and Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch have not seen eye-to-eye over the best approach to deal with the situation – Keegan suggests parents being allowed to decide on allowing their children to transition, while Ms Badenoch is calling for a tougher approach to take the decision away from parents.

Gillian Keegan proposes a softer approach to the issue.

A Whitehall source said of the decision that: “ultimately it sits with No 10,” and that Sunak “has to decide”.

“Teachers deserve clear instructions about what to do in a challenging situation,” Sir John Hayes, chairman of the Common Sense Group of Conservative MPs said. “This whole issue of what schools should do about social transitioning needs clarification.

“It’s important that schools get clear information, and that all of this takes place with the involvement of parents.

“We must not pander to a tiny minority of shrill trans activists who expect to get what they want because they shout the loudest.

“It’s true that a very small number of people are coming to terms with trans identity, and these need care and support.

“Good schools have experience of pastoral care, but they need clear guidance from the government on how to support that pastoral role.”

Conservative MP Nick Fletcher said: “I am concerned by suggestions that we need new or amended legislation to confirm that schools must abide by common sense, reality, and child safeguarding. Schools must ground all children in reality – they must not lie to children or confuse children.

“The protected characteristics in the Equality Act simply mean that none of us can be discriminated against.

“It would be unworkable to suggest that any of the protected characteristics can compel speech or belief or adherence to ideology.

“The government needs to move quickly to reassert this via its guidance for schools before more children are harmed and the learning environment in schools damaged by the promotion of ideology.”