The government is being urged to have "courage" after another setback to promised new guidelines on the social transition of children in schools.
The government promised last year that it would bring out new transgender guidance for schools in autumn 2022 after reaching a settlement with Christian parents Nigel and Sally Rowe, who took legal action against the Department for Education (DfE) when they and their six-year-old son were labelled "transphobic" by a Church of England primary school for challenging its affirming policy.
Nearly a year on, the guidance has yet to be issued and has now been pushed back again after it was reported this week that the Attorney General has advised the government that banning social transition in schools would be unlawful and requires new legislation to be passed.
Christian Concern, which supported the Rowes in their legal challenge against the DfE, said it was "disappointing" that the guidance has been delayed again. It refutes the position of the Attorney General.
The organisation's CEO Andrea Williams is calling for a "common sense" approach as she warned that social transition in schools has become a "major safeguarding scandal".
"The government is being slow because it fears backlash from the trans lobby for simply stating fact – that boy are boys and girls are girls," she said.
"If they had the courage to speak plain truth on this issue I believe parents across the nation would breathe a sigh of relief."
She continued, "The case of Nigel and Sally Rowe highlighted that school children as young a six-years-old were being allowed to socially transition in primary schools, and this has been going on for at least nine years. It is not difficult for the government to put a stop to this. The expert evidence submitted to the DfE by Nigel and Sally Rowe showed clearly that allowing young children to socially transition is harmful.
"No new laws are needed to tell schools to call boys 'boys' and girls 'girls'. Children can't change sex. They can't change legal sex, and they can't change biological sex. Why is it so hard for the government to tell schools this simple fact?
"Schools enabling young children to socially transition is a major safeguarding issue. It is harmful for the children and all the pupils in the class. There is no excuse for the government continuing to allow this harmful unscientific practice.
"If the government had the courage to speak plain common sense to schools in order to protect children I believe parents across the nation would breathe a sigh of relief."
