Kemi Badenoch says guidance will ensure parents know what is ‘going on with their children’ at school
Teachers will be forced to tell parents that their child is questioning their gender even if the young person objects under new guidance for schools in England, the equalities minister has indicated.
Can we just focus on education? I don't mind being against exclusion, discrimination or anything that would prevent someone from living their most fulfilling life... but these institutions are being unnecessarily focused on things that are maybe best left out of instruction.
That's completely besides the point. Teachers are responsible for a child's wellbeing when they are looking after them, and as part of that tbr child might bring that up to their teacher and the child should be able to trust in that teacher to keep it from parents who might react negatively to that news, much like you would a doctor.
This law doesn't change the education the child receives it only serves to put trans kids at risk of abuse from their parents.
Its not possible to leave it out of instruction. The purpose of education (as it currently exists, and as they claim it to be) is to prepare children to function as adults in society. Some kids have racist parents, some kids have homophobic parents, some kids have misogynistic parents, some children are abused at home or are taught hatred and bigotry. The state has an obligation to advocate for the rights of children, because children are vulnerable and are not capable of removing themselves from an abusive home. Its the entire reason protective services exists in theory. Children are not possessions, you cannot just do whatever you want to your child, your child has the same fundamental human rights as any other human being. And like any other vulnerable human being, society has to ensure that the rights of children are being respected.
Children who are outted to their parents can face homelessness, abuse, psychological torture in conversion camps, ostracization from their friends and communities, isolation, manipulation, and bullying. It can end lives. Children can and do die because they are outted to their transphobic parents. As I said, society had a responsibility to ensure that the rights of children are being respected. The right to safety and security is one such right that is compromised by forcibly outting children to their parents. Educators should ALWAYS have to listen to the child and take no action without the permission of that child. Because children are people, and people are supposed to have rights. Children are not possessions of their parents, they are human beings who have fundamental rights the same as any other human being. The state should not be considering parents at all in this equation. The only person who needs to consider whether or not parents should know would be the children in question.
Children should also be taught about the existence of gay and trans people as part of regular education. The state has an obligation to provide proper education to everyone. Proper education should take steps to mitigate bigotry. Anti racism should be taught in schools, feminism and women's rights should be taught in schools. It is much the same with gay and trans rights.
Part of education, especially childhood education, has to be teaching children about the world they live in and how to navigate it. Which does mean that they need to be taught about tolerance and the differences between people. That's necessary for understanding and navigating the world they're entering. And teachers are there to guide them on that journey and keep them safe. To be an adult to whom they can ask questions without fear of reprisal. To be someone primarily interested in their success and not some other political goal.
Conservatives are the ones stepping into this process and interfering. Forbidding teachers to teach about the world. And forcing teachers to violate the confidence needed to keep children safe. Conservatives are the ones trying to replace education with a tool for indoctrination.
The only interpretation of a rule like the one in this article is that there is a belief that a child questioning their gender is equivalent to a child admitting to some kind of self-harm. It's pure bigotry and cruelty from people who know nothing and resist learning anything about the science and psychology of the subject. It is part of a genocidal agenda of demonizing and denying part of human identity. It is unacceptable. And worse, it's a violation of the fundamental relationship between the teacher and the student. It's interfering with and taking focus from education.