Scottish teachers reporting non-trans affirming parents to social services

Schools across Scotland have been reporting parents to local authorities if they are unsupportive of their child’s desire to ‘swap gender’.

The Sunday Times reports that dozens of referrals have been made on the back of publicly-funded guidance produced by pro-trans lobby group LGBT Youth Scotland.

The Scottish Government distanced itself from the guidance in 2019 after The Christian Institute issued a legal letter expressing “significant concerns” over the “misleading” material.

Additional guidance

‘Supporting Transgender Young People: Guidance For Schools in Scotland’ says teachers should not tell parents if their child changes gender in school unless the child, who could be as young as four years old, gives permission, and that if parents are “struggling” with their child’s transgender identity, staff can consider raising this with the local authority.

Among the councils receiving referrals from schools were West Lothian, Orkney and North Ayrshire.

Clackmannanshire Council also confirmed referrals had been made, with schools claiming this was “to support transgender pupils who had additional and more complex issues that required targeted interventions”.

Since 2018, West Dunbartonshire Council has received six referrals from schools asking for additional guidance to enable staff or parents to better “support transgendered pupils”.

‘Outrageous’

The Christian Institute’s Deputy Director for Public Affairs Simon Calvert criticised the councils and schools for using the discredited guidance.

He said: “These activists have proved they are not a reliable guide to the law. I cannot understand why schools are paying any attention to them when it comes to the sensitive balancing of children’s rights and parental rights.

“The idea that schools are being guided by their opinions and referring parents to local authorities for not agreeing with them is outrageous.

“There is a hotly contested debate going on right now about how to respond to young people who experience gender confusion. Schools must exercise care and sensitivity to all concerned, including parents. Dragging in the council to ‘re-educate’ parents who dissent from the LGBT Youth Scotland line is oppressive and wrong.”