Schools are told to record pupils’ sex as listed on their birth certificate – with only male and female as options – rather than asking for their gender
- State schools in England will log children’s ‘sex as recorded on a birth certificate’
Schools must now record whether pupils are boys or girls rather than asking them what their gender identity is.
Under new rules, all state schools in England must log children’s ‘sex as recorded on a birth certificate’ in annual data sent to Whitehall.
They will only be given the option of putting male and female on the records, and have been told officials do not want information on self-described gender – although teachers can ask for it if they want.
It comes ahead of much-anticipated new guidance for head teachers on transgender issues, which Rishi Sunak pledged will be published for the summer term.
Heather Binning, of Women’s Rights Network, said: ‘While all pupils need to be treated with compassion, however they identify, we welcome this move for the protection of girls.’
Schools must now record whether pupils are boys or girls rather than asking them what their gender identity is (stock image)
The change in approach was revealed in a document on ‘data operations’ published by the Department for Education this week.
It said: ‘The DfE has been aware for some time that its data conflates ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ in a way that is both ambiguous and confusing.
There are growing numbers of reports of children… identifying as a gender other than the one they were assigned at birth and institutions are asking for departmental guidance on recording this data.’
Under the new format of the common basic data set system used by schools, from the autumn term they will be required to record a pupil’s sex as either female or male.
Tory MP Miriam Cates said: ‘Data is worthless if it is not based on fact.’
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