Children as young as 4 years old in Scotland will now be permitted to identify as the opposite sex and alter their names, according to new guidance issued by the country’s government.
“The aim of this Government’s education policy is to achieve excellence and equity for all our young people in a high-performing education system,” the foreword of the 70-page guidance states. “To achieve this we must ensure every child and young person is happy, safe, respected and included in their learning environment. By doing so, we are creating the right environment for everyone to participate fully in their education and achieve their potential.”
According to Scotland’s Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville, who assumed office in May, allowing kids to claim to be the opposite sex through the government’s decision to bypass parents is advantageous. Somerville said, “This guidance outlines how schools can support transgender young people while ensuring that the rights of all pupils are fully respected,” as reported by The Daily Mail.
“It provides schools with practical suggestions,” Somerville added. “The guidance is not prescriptive and does not promote transitioning.”
In addition, Scotland’s guidance instructs educators to adhere to the supposed sex that children claim they are and use their preferred pronouns. Schools are being told to put books involving transgender-identifying people in curricula, which makes it further unclear how Somerville’s statement about the country not trying to “promote transitioning” holds up. Students will also be able to choose which restroom they want to use.
A section titled “Changing Name and Recorded Sex,” describes how kids will not be required to inform others of their perceived sex. Instead, if students begin showing signs of thinking they are a sex that they are not, teachers are supposed to ask them “what name and pronoun you should use to address them.”
Scotland’s guidance is not foreign to the United States. In Loudoun County, Virginia, the left-wing school board approved a policy this week that forces educators to use students’ preferred pronouns. Tanner Cross, a teacher in Loudoun County Public Schools, made headlines after being placed on leave for arguing against the idea that a “biological boy can be a girl and vice versa.”
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