Education unions, children\u2019s rights groups and LGBTQ+ organisations have urged Northern Ireland\u2019s Education Minister, Paul Givan, to reinstate guidance on supporting trans and gender diverse students. The DUP politician said the document had been produced in response to \u201cthe kind of activist campaigns that were being pursued by a minority\u201d, and he did not believe it was lawful.<\/p>\n
This comment likely refers to the UK Supreme Court decision in April regarding the definition of \u2018woman\u2019. However, Givan\u2019s department has been criticised for moving forward with the removal of the Education Authority\u2019s 2019 guidance while the Northern Ireland Equality Commission awaits a declaration from the High Court over how to apply the ruling.<\/p>\n
Vice-Chair of NIC-ICTU\u2019s Education Group, Susan Neill, responded, \u201cGiven the legal uncertainty as to how the Supreme Court judgement applies to Northern Ireland\u2019s devolved institutions, we believe that this is at best a premature move on the part of a Minister who would be better to focus on delivering educational outcomes for every child in every school across Northern Ireland.\u201d<\/p>\n
Neill added, \u201cWe urge the NI Assembly Education Committee to seek the legal basis for the Minister\u2019s decision, and to seek the restoration of the guidance to the EA website.\u201d<\/p>\n
Furthermore, 15 groups have issued a statement urging the minister to reinstate the document.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe the undersigned LGBTQIA+, human rights organisations and education unions are disappointed and concerned by the Education Minister\u2019s decision to remove guidance which provided information to schools in relation to supporting transgender and gender diverse<\/a> pupils,\u201d they wrote.<\/p>\n \u201cTransgender young people in school are entitled to compassion, acceptance and support. The removal of guidance for supporting these young people, with no replacement guidance, is a step back for those young people struggling in school, as well as their parents and teachers seeking to support them.\u201d<\/p>\n The groups explained that the Education Authority\u2019s document was \u201cnon-statutory and non-binding\u201d, and that each school could support students in a manner that worked best for them.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Department\u2019s own 2017 research identified that appropriate access to toilets, changing facilities, and flexibility with uniform policies were key issues trans young people faced, and the key issues that caused over half of LGBT pupils to not feel supported in schools.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Minister has clearly misunderstood that to consider children\u2019s best interests is to consider the best interests of each individual child, including children and young people who are developing their own understanding of their identity. We are in no doubt that his decision will have direct consequences for pupils. It will affect their ability to fully participate in school life, to thrive in their educational environment, and will have knock-on impacts on other services including CAMHS.\u201d<\/p>\n The statement concluded by stressing, \u201cThe Minister has a responsibility to prioritise the education and wellbeing of all pupils over stoking political culture wars. We call on him to reinstate this guidance and to meaningfully engage with the young people, parents and school staff this directly affects.\u201d<\/p>\n The signatures include: The Rainbow Project; GMB; Children\u2019s Law Centre; Irish National Teachers\u2019 Organisation (INTO); NUS-USI; National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT); Here NI; NASUWT; Cara-Friend; Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance (NIPSA); Youth Action; Prospect; Children in Northern Ireland (CiNI); Unison; and Ulster Teachers\u2019 Union (UTU). <\/p>\n Alongside removing the guidance on supporting trans people, Northern Ireland\u2019s Department of Education has also removed its 2017 research on the experiences of LGBTQ+ pupils. Alexa Moore from The Rainbow Project said it was \u201ca little bit strange\u201d that both resources were deleted from the department\u2019s website at roughly the same time.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Did you know we have a team of wonderful runners taking part in this year\u2019s Dublin Marathon and raising funds for GCN? You can support our athletes at this link<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u00a9 2025 GCN (Gay Community News). All rights reserved.<\/p>\n Support GCN<\/p>\n GCN is a free, vital resource for Ireland\u2019s LGBTQ+ community since 1988.<\/p>\n GCN is a trading name of National LGBT Federation CLG, a registered charity – Charity Number: 20034580<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n GCN relies on the generous support of the community and allies to sustain the crucial work that we do. Producing GCN is costly, and, in an industry which has been hugely impacted by rising costs, we need your support to help sustain and grow this vital resource.<\/p>\n