Schools not obligated to use pupils’ preferred pronouns, attorney general says | UK News
Attorney General Suella Braverman has said that schools have no legal obligation to follow students’ gender preferences.
Former Tory leadership candidate states that schools may refuse to use a child’s preferred opposite-sex pronouns.
Writing in The Daily Telegraph, she said schools should only assert a child’s gender preference when it differs from their sex at birth “on the advice of an independent medical practitioner”.
She added: “Many schools and teachers believe – incorrectly – that they have an absolute legal obligation to treat children in question about gender according to the child’s preferences.
“I want to make it clear that, in law, schools can refuse to use a child’s preferred opposite-gender pronouns.”
Her comments come ahead of a speech to the Policy Exchange on Wednesday that touched on equality and rights.
Ms. Braverman said it is also legal for schools to refuse to allow a boy’s child to wear a school uniform or participate in single-sex sports, while single-sex schools have the right to Children of the opposite sex are not accepted. gender the person identifies as transgender.
She also warned teachers and schools that allowing students to “socially transition” to the opposite sex without the knowledge or consent of their parents could “breach their duty of care to the child.” that child”.
She added that mixed schools have the legal capacity to biologically and legally prohibit male children, who identify as transgender, from using the girls’ restroom.
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There is also a separate mandate to provide men’s restrooms in schools, which would be illegal, Ms. Braverman said.
“When questioning children’s gender, we must always have compassion. At the same time, our compassion must never be blinded to the harm that can be caused to children by asserting misplaced.
“Diversity and equality are really at risk when we divide people into distinct groups and then silence views that might challenge those groups’ identities. This is not the intention. the meaning of democracy and not what the law requires.”