Schools ‘must not be made to out trans young people to unsupportive families’, says Yorkshire mother

The debate, ahead of long-awaited guidance for schools, centres around reports that sharing such details with families could become compulsory.

Now the parent of a transgender son from West Yorkshire has warned the issue has become politicised to the detriment of the very young people who are directly affected.

Heidi Mavir, whose son is transgender, said trans children are not a danger to other children but that “unsupportive homes are a danger to trans children”.

The 48-year-old author said: “The myth for me is the idea that there is a safeguarding risk simply because a child or young person is trans. That’s not accurate. There may be a safeguarding risk if a child or young person was outed to a family who were not supportive.”

The issue has long been at the centre of debate, further fuelled by delays in the publishing of guidance for schools which could outline any such details.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, stating “decisions must not be taken lightly or in haste”, has appealed to schools and colleges to “proceed with extreme caution” in the meantime.

But parents and teachers warn that making it compulsory for schools to inform parents if their child is questioning their gender identity could put some young people at risk.

Ms Mavir, who set up a Change.org petition which has now gained more than 26,000 signatures, said: “Unfortunately, not all homes are safe for gender non-conforming children and that’s my concern.

"So I think it’s about understanding that this isn’t about keeping things from parents, this is about safeguarding children, and it’s about safeguarding trans children.”

Earlier this month Government confirmed that guidance for schools was delayed, with Education Secretary Gillian Keegan saying schools and colleges “should always involve parents in decisions relating to their child, and should not agree to any changes that they are not absolutely confident are in the best interests of that child and their peers”.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman has previously said the Government wanted to ensure the guidance “places the wellbeing and safety of children at its heart and that it makes sure that parents are always the ones that have the first say”.

Education unions have vented their frustration over the delay to the guidance, saying teachers are having to navigate the “complex and sensitive subject” on their own.

Ms Mavir said the inconsistency in approach to how her son was treated had been “distressing” at times, adding that she “absolutely” agrees with unions “that we definitely need guidance in how to support gender non-conforming children and young people”.

And Alex Mees, a former teacher with 20 years of experience, said he fears a “very dangerous path” is being taken with “prioritising parents’ feelings over children’s safety”.

The 42-year-old from London said while parents will be involved in most cases, there will also be some where the child does not feel safe for their family to know.

He said: “There will be times when kids can’t (involve parents) because they know that their parents have possibly religious reasons or just that they know their parents are very transphobic. And we should be trusting those children in that situation and we should be taking the lead from them.

“And yes, I absolutely feel that if they (the Government) are essentially making it mandatory to inform parents, I think that does risk putting kids in danger and I think it also means that a lot of kids then won’t open up at all.”

Mr Mees said this could lead to “a situation where kids are hiding their true selves because they don’t feel safe”, adding: “Whether it’s sexuality or gender identity, that’s a really dangerous position to be putting children in, that they’re having to feel scared to be honest about who they are.”