Headteachers warned not to keep parents in dark over trans lessons

Headteachers will be warned not to keep parents in the dark over trans lessons

• Department of Education tell heads they must share material on sensitive topics
• Education Secretary Gillian Keegan urged to clarify her definition of a woman 
• Mrs Keegan has faced criticism over position on trans rights after it emerged she claimed that ‘trans women are women’ in letter to LGBT support group in 2020 

Ministers will write to headteachers and remind them not to keep parents in the dark over trans teaching, it is understood.

It comes as Education Secretary Gillian Keegan was last night urged to clarify her definition of a woman after she appeared to roll back on her stance on trans women.

The Department for Education (DfE) is expected to tell heads that they have an ‘obligation’ to share material on sensitive topics, such as same-sex and transgender issues, with parents.

A source told the Daily Mail: ‘Parents have a right to see what their kids have been taught. Parents are not able to veto curriculum content, but it is responsible for them to ask to see the material, especially in relation to sensitive topics.’

Schools are required to provide a copy of the material as part of the Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) policy ‘free of charge to anyone who asks’, according to department guidelines.

They should also ensure that the policy is published on the school website. However, some refuse, claiming that publishing the material would breach copyright.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan (pictured) was last night urged to clarify her definition of a woman after she appeared to roll back on her stance on trans women

The Department for Education (DfE) is expected to tell heads that they have an ‘obligation’ to share material on sensitive topics, such as same-sex and transgender issues, with parents

In those cases, parents have a ‘right to go into school and see it’, the source added.

It comes as Mrs Keegan faced criticism over her position on trans rights after it emerged that she claimed that ‘trans women are women’ in a letter to an LGBT support group in 2020.

This appears to contradict comments she made last month, in which she said the definition of a woman ‘doesn’t include anybody that has a penis’.

Stephanie Davies-Arai, founder of campaign group Transgender Trend, said: ‘We need Gillian Keegan to clarify her understanding of what a woman is. As the person responsible for the education of children, we’d like to know whether she has a factual or an ideological understanding.’

A source close to Mrs Keegan said: ‘Gillian knows what a biological woman is. But she is not… someone who will form a really aggressive position on an issue which requires nuance, sensitivity and kindness.

‘That said, she’s 100 per cent supportive of women-only safe spaces. Does that mean we should alienate people who have decided to go trans? No.’

Mrs Keegan has faced criticism over her position on trans rights after it emerged that she claimed that ‘trans women are women’ in a letter to an LGBT support group in 2020

The Mail on Sunday reported that teaching staff have complained that school leaders are stopping them from following government legal advice which allows them to prevent a biologically male child from joining girls’ activities or wearing girls’ uniform.

Tory MPs and campaigners accused Whitehall of ‘abandoning’ teachers who want to delay children from starting on the path to transitioning too young, claiming staff are being dictated to by ‘woke’ parents or fellow teachers.

The Safe Schools Alliance, a campaign group of parents and teachers, said hundreds have complained that staff are being forced to teach ‘indoctrinating’ trans ideology as fact. The Department for Education did not respond to request for comment.

n Singer Shaznay Lewis, who was part of girl group All Saints, has said women face being ‘excluded’ by the now gender neutral Brit Awards – as no women have been nominated for this year’s artist of the year award. Ms Lewis said: ‘How can we persist with a category that this year has excluded half of the population?’

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