{"id":65222,"date":"2025-08-14T00:46:09","date_gmt":"2025-08-14T00:46:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/65222\/"},"modified":"2025-08-14T00:46:09","modified_gmt":"2025-08-14T00:46:09","slug":"biological-sex-of-10000-university-applicants-not-known-as-many-now-prefer-not-to-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/65222\/","title":{"rendered":"Biological sex of 10,000 university applicants not known as many now ‘prefer not to say’"},"content":{"rendered":"

By ELEANOR HARDING, EDUCATION EDITOR<\/a> <\/p>\n

Published: 12:09 EDT, 13 August 2025 | Updated: 12:44 EDT, 13 August 2025 <\/p>\n

The biological sex of almost 10,000 university applicants is not known as thousands now \u2018prefer not to say\u2019 or\u00a0\u2018use another term\u2019, new data shows.<\/p>\n

Figures from admissions body Ucas show almost 5,000 applicants chose each option this year, instead of ticking \u2018male\u2019 or \u2018female\u2019.<\/p>\n

The two new categories for online university applications were introduced a year ago, in a bid to be more inclusive of trans and non-binary students.<\/p>\n

Ucas has previously defended the decision, saying it is \u2018important that institutions know how their students identify.\u2019<\/p>\n

However, Professor Alice Sullivan, a sociologist from University College London<\/a>, said the figures proved vital data was being lost.<\/p>\n

She told the Daily Mail: \u2018The different experiences and choices of girls and boys as they leave school and apply for university are a key determinant of later outcomes, including employment and income.<\/p>\n

\u2018The substantial loss of data on sex will lead to a loss of accuracy in research on these questions.<\/p>\n

\u2018Replacing clear data collection on sex with a \u201cgender\u201d variable which confuses sex and gender identity is unjustifiable.<\/p>\n

\u2018Sex and gender identity are distinct, and data on each of these should be collected via separate questions. Muddling the two does not provide accurate data on either.\u2019<\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

The biological sex of almost 10,000 university applicants is not known as thousands now ‘prefer not to say’ or ‘use another term’, new data shows (pictured: Professor Alice Sullivan)<\/p>\n

\"Figures <\/p>\n

Figures from admissions body Ucas show almost 5,000 applicants chose each option this year, instead of ticking ‘male’ or ‘female’ (file picture)<\/p>\n

This year, 4,660 selected \u2018I use another term\u2019, while 4,980 selected \u2018prefer not to say\u2019 \u2013 each making up just under 1 per cent of the total number of applicants.<\/p>\n

In 2022, when the new system was announced, Professor Sullivan led 70 academics in writing an open letter saying it would lead to an \u2018erosion of sex-based data\u2019 in education that will make it \u2018impossible to track trends over time\u2019.<\/p>\n

Professor Sullivan published a Government-commissioned review in March, which highlighted the harms of failing to collect data on biological sex.<\/p>\n

Stephanie Davies-Arai, director at Transgender Trend, said: \u2018Sex is a key data variable for research, yet this data has been lost for almost 10,000 students because of the nonsense of \u201cgender identity.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Having been taught in school to doubt biological reality, it is hardly surprising that so many university applicants are confused about whether they are male or female.<\/p>\n

\u2018How many other young people are equally confused?<\/p>\n

\u2018This should be a wake-up call for the Department for Education to get gender identity teaching out of schools.\u2019<\/p>\n

The two new categories were first introduced in 2024, when 5,820 ticked \u2018I use another term\u2019 and 4,920 ticked \u2018prefer not to say\u2019.<\/p>\n

Ucas was approached for comment and they confirmed the figures are correct.<\/p>\n

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