The Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition and Centre for Mental Health have jointly responded to the Department for Education’s consultation on the non-statutory guidance for schools and colleges on gender questioning children.
We believe all children and young people have the right to education free from discrimination which promotes and protects their mental health and wellbeing, and LGBT+ young people are no exception. Trans and gender diverse young people already face higher rates of bullying and discrimination in education settings, and higher prevalence of mental health problems linked to social attitudes and experiences, and we are deeply disappointed that this guidance fails to make sure schools are safe places for every child.
Schools and colleges are important places for protecting, and promoting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing, and we advocate for whole education approaches for mental health and wellbeing in all education settings. However, the guidance contradicts the principles of a whole education approach, instead exacerbating harmful stereotypes, denying gender expression and trans identities, and creating barriers towards an inclusive and supportive environment for trans and gender diverse young people – which, if implemented, will have deeply harmful effects on their mental health and wellbeing.
The guidance in its current form risks perpetuating harm and discrimination for trans and gender diverse children and young people. It is imperative that we create inclusive and supportive school cultures to ensure that schools and colleges are safe places for all children and young people, that actively promote and support mental health and wellbeing.
The Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition is part of the Supportive Schools Campaign, which is calling on the Government to listen to LGBT+ youth and inclusive educators, withdraw the guidance and rethink their approach. In addition, we are calling for:
- Whole education approaches to mental health and wellbeing to be fully embedded across all education settings and used as framework to develop guidance and support for LGBTQ+ young people.
- The guidance to be amended and updated to focus on supporting schools to develop and promote LGBTQ+ inclusive policies and interventions, so that all children and young people can feel safe and thrive at school
- Focus groups to be carried out with young people and parents-carers to inform the development of future guidance.
- The Department for Education to routinely listen and involve trans and gender diverse young people within their work to ensure their experiences and needs are effectively considered within policy development.
Coalition Chair, Amy Whitelock Gibbs says, “The Government claims it supports whole-education approaches to mental health – but this draft guidance undermines this aim and fails to make sure schools and colleges are a safe place for every child. It perpetuates an exclusionary approach that dismisses the rights of trans young people, who already face higher rates of bullying and are at greater risk of developing mental health problems due to social stigma and abuse. If enacted, the guidance will only exacerbate this, with potentially devastating consequences.
“All children have the right to an education free from discrimination that protects their wellbeing. To improve mental health outcomes for all and create educational environments where all young people can thrive, we call on the Government to urgently rethink their approach.”
