At Unite for Education, our commitment has always been simple and unwavering, to stand for truth in love, to protect children, and to support families with clarity, compassion, and hope.
As new draft KCSIE guidance for England emerges, the conversation around social transition in schools is once again at the forefront and it matters deeply for Scotland too.
The 2026 draft guidance in England calls for a “cautious approach” to social transition, placing safeguarding, parental involvement, and the protection of single‑sex spaces at the centre. While Scotland’s education system is separate, these developments inevitably increase pressure on the Scottish Government to review and update its own guidance.
What does this mean for Scotland?
England is moving toward a more cautious, safeguarding first model. Scotland’s current guidance remains more permissive, often encouraging affirmation without question.
Growing political and parental pressure
Families and campaigners are increasingly calling for consistency across the UK, especially where safeguarding and single‑sex spaces are concerned.
With England now emphasising that social transition is not a neutral act, Scottish schools may face legal challenges if they continue operating under older, less cautious guidance.
England’s draft rules reaffirm that children should not access toilets or changing rooms of the opposite sex, even if socially transitioning.
These developments intensify the debate here in Scotland about how best to protect and support every child emotionally, physically, and developmentally.
Truth in love, not ideology
We must be clear and courageous because children deserve honesty, not ideology; compassion, not confusion; support, not social pressure.
The new draft guidance acknowledges that children will be allowed to socially transition, but we cannot perpetuate the belief that boys can become girls or girls can become boys. That message, however well promoted, does not align with biological reality, and it risks causing deep and lasting harm to vulnerable young people who are looking for stability, identity, and truth.
Our stance is not rooted in anger or fear. It is rooted in love. Love tells the truth. Love protects. Love does not affirm a path that leads to harm. Love stands firm even when culture shifts.
Compassion for those caught in the confusion
Many young people today are navigating a culture that tells them, “This is the way to find yourself,” while quietly leading them into deeper distress. Our response must never be condemnation, it must be compassion.
We are here to listen with empathy, speak with clarity, support families, protect children, and offer hope grounded in truth. Every child deserves adults who will stand in the gap for them, even when it’s difficult or unpopular.
This moment is not about winning arguments. It’s about safeguarding children, strengthening families, and ensuring that education remains rooted in truth, not ideology.
Unite for Education will continue to advocate for:
Evidence-based policy
Parental involvement
Protection of single‑sex spaces
Compassionate support for all pupils
Truth spoken in love
Our goal is not to shame or divide, but to bring clarity where there is confusion and hope where there is hurt. Truth and love are not opposites, they belong together. And when we hold them together, we can build a future that truly protects and uplifts every child.
There’s a consultation where you can share your views. We will be responding to this consultation even though its focus is England, Why? Because together we can make a difference.
Niel Deepnarain is founder of Unite for Education is a Scotland‑based movement seeking to ensure that legislation respects family autonomy, protects diverse educational choices, and upholds the rights of parents to raise their children according to their convictions. It is making a real difference by supporting Christian schools (both established and new), home school networks, and Christian teachers and students in state schools across Scotland. It is for everyone involved with, and interested, in the education system. If you share our vision, we would love to see you at our next education conference in Inverness on 14 March.
