The promotion of transsexual policies in schools is leading to “confusion about gender identity” in children, a leading educationalist has warned.
Author and lecturer at the University of Kent, Dr. Joanna Williams, made the comments at The Telegraph Festival of Education.
She criticized campaigners for seeking to change school policies on gender and forcing children to “unlearn” the difference between boys and girls.
‘Confusion’
Dr Williams said: “We are increasingly reminded that schools are struggling financially. Yet the time, effort and money that goes into producing and monitoring transgender policies is out of all proportion to the tiny number of trans children currently in British schools.”
She added: “Children—encouraged by their experiences at school—are beginning to question their gender identity at ever younger ages.
“In doing more than just supporting transgender children, and instead sowing confusion about gender identity, schools do neither boys nor girls any favors”.
‘Shocking and Immoral’
Dr Williams went on to criticize schools which blur subject knowledge with “the promotion of particular values.”
“The role of the teacher becomes policing the values, thoughts and language of children to bring them in line with one particular ideological position,” she said.
In April, the National Union of Teachers (NUT) called for 2-year-old children to be taught about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual issues. At the NUT annual conference in Cardiff in April, delegates passed a motion calling for compulsory teaching of LGBT issues “throughout all phases of state education,” including in nurseries.
Ciarán Kelly, Head of Communications at The Christian Institute, described the NUT’s plans as “shocking and immoral.”
Institute Briefing
The issue of transsexualism—wanting to change physical sex because you feel you are “in the wrong body”—has become increasingly high profile.
To aid understanding in this area, The Christian Institute has produced a briefing with key information and theology on the subject. {eoa}
