Guidance on how to support transgender pupils will be published for schools in Wales during the next academic year, it has been reported. The Welsh Government has said the guidance required "extensive consultation" and would provide "clear and well-informed advice".
As part of its LGBTQ+ Action Plan, the Welsh Government committed to issuing guidance this summer. However, it said this had been delayed in order to ensure a full consultation, avoiding the exam period and the school summer holidays. The Welsh government said the guidance was needed to help teachers ensure transgender children "feel safe and adequately supported in education".
"This is a complex area of policy which requires extensive consultation with experts, practitioners and the public, as well as children and young people themselves," it ", a spokesperson told the BBC.
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School of Hard Knocks, a charity that uses sport to help at-risk children re-engage with school, said teachers often lacked confidence in talking about issues relating to gender, with the topic coming up "more and more" in schools. "More and more students are exploring their gender and being open with how they identify and using pronouns that differ to the ones they were given at birth," Dr Sian Edwards, from the charity said.
"That's something teachers are seeing more and more and it's not something that they're necessarily familiar with or comfortable with." Sian said focus groups were set up to find out key issues faced by teachers and pupils. The Inc Project, which is led by the charity, offers training to schools and other organisations.
"A key message from the training is - have the conversation. Students just want to know that you're trying to help - that is the biggest thing that will make a difference," she said.
Alison Carney, a consultant who helps to deliver the training, has acknowledged that it could be a sensitive area, with teachers fearing getting it wrong. She said: "We talked to the kids and the teachers about what are the problems they're having in school and this isn't about necessarily getting down to the [detail] of policy. It's simply about what could make their day to day better."
Dan Hayes said more guidance could have helped him while he was at school and that being transgender or non-binary was rarely mentioned. The 23-year-old from Rhondda Cynon Taf said he tried his best to fit in, but found having to wear a girls' uniform difficult.
"It started when I was maybe eight or nine. It was mainly me thinking 'these aren't the clothes I'm meant to wear'. As I went through puberty... 'I shouldn't look like this'," he said. "I actually found the words to describe myself a lot later when I was 16 or 17. But even then it took a lot to identify with those words 'I am transgender'."
He continued: "I always felt very uncomfortable going to school looking like that. I tried my best to fit in growing my hair long, wearing make-up but it just never worked." Dan said that more guidance for teachers might help.
"I didn't want to talk to any of my teachers about it because I didn't think they'd understand. I think it's important for trans kids to know there are people like them out there," he said.
The Welsh Conservatives have said that it was a "delicate subject" that is "vital" to get right. Laura Anne Jones, education spokesperson for the party, said: "The guidance should allow teachers to focus on teaching and not pander to identity politics and culture wars." Any guidance "should not come at the expense of women and girls' rights", she added.
The Children's Commissioner for Wales, Rocio Cifuentes, said it was important that adults were "well equipped and confident in giving advice and help". She added: "I expect the Welsh government's upcoming national trans guidance for schools to act as a comprehensive and practical tool to help schools to confidently respond to pupils' needs."
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