South Australia Has Introduced New Guidelines To Protect The Rights Of Transgender Students

Transgender and intersex kids in state schools in South Australia will be allowed to use the toilet, wear the uniform, and adopt the name and pronouns consistent with their preferred gender identity, as part of a new policy that affirms the rights of LGBTQI students across the state.

The policy, which is mandatory for all state schools (but not independent ones), is meant to provide a clear set of guidelines to school administrators and parents as to the legal rights of transgender and intersex children.

“We had a number of queries from schools and parents, and we needed to make it very clear what our legislative requirements were and how schools enact them — supporting principals in particular but also families in what they can expect from schools,” Ann-Marie Hayes, a spokesperson for the Education Department, told The Advertiser.

The policy is also designed to foster understanding and acceptance among students. “This is a particular group that we know get quite bullied and harassed,” said Hayes. “The message we are giving to peers here is we don’t support homophobia and transphobia in a school setting.”

Transgender students are also to be allowed to sleep alongside children of their identified gender on school camps.

According to the policy, if the wishes of parents do not align with those of their children, schools are to act in accordance with “the best interests of the child to ensure their physical and psychological safety and wellbeing.”

Ms. Hayes said that in practice it was “highly unlikely” that schools would go against the wishes of parents, except as an “absolute last resort.”

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Image via Torbakhopper on a Flickr Creative Commons licence.