Transgender policies in schools ‘a waste of time and money’, claims leading academic (UK)

Independent 23 June 2017
Family First Comment: Bring this common sense to NZ!
“By the time they start school, most children know their name, how old they are and where they live. Most also know for certain whether they are a boy or a girl. Despite this, many primary schools now have policies in place ‘to support trans children’ and to ‘provide a broad overview of the needs of transgender children and their families’. This can be counterproductive, she said, “encouraging even the youngest children to question whether they really are a boy or a girl.”
Introducing transgender policies in schools is a waste of time and taxpayers’ money, and only confuses children further, a leading academic has claimed.
As increasing numbers of children and adults in the UK seek referrals for gender identity clinics, schools are being encouraged to become more inclusive, with many now providing gender neutral toilets, uniforms and language policies.
But putting such policies into practice only encourages more children to question unnecessarily whether they are a boy or a girl, argues Dr Joanna Williams.
“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 told teachers and school leaders.
Speaking at the Festival of Education at Wellington School, Berkshire, the author and academic researcher said the vast majority of children may start school understanding the difference between genders, but are “quickly encouraged to unlearn this knowledge”.
“By the time they start school, most children know their name, how old they are and where they live.
“Most also know for certain whether they are a boy or a girl. Despite this, many primary schools now have policies in place ‘to support trans children’ and to ‘provide a broad overview of the needs of transgender children and their families’.”
This can be counterproductive, she said, “encouraging even the youngest children to question whether they really are a boy or a girl.”
READ MORE: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/transgender-policies-school-gender-identity-neutral-toilets-waste-of-time-money-dr-joanna-williams-a7805511.html