New DUP education minister hints he could change transgender guidelines for schools which tell teachers to accept pupils' self-declared identities

It comes after the Tories set out plans to radically re-write the guidelines for schools in England so that teachers are not expected to automatically accept a boy’s claim that he is really a girl (and vice-versa).

This planned re-write is now out to consultation, but if adopted it would stand sharp contrast with the advice issued to schools in Northern Ireland.

As it stands right now, the guidance from the NI Education Authority says: “While some staff or parents may wish to know the pupil’s transgender status, this information is confidential.

“Staff should not disclose a pupil’s preferred name, pronoun, or other confidential information relating to their transgender status to another parent or third party without the pupil’s permission…

“Teachers and other staff working with young people should respect a young person’s wishes and use their preferred name/pronoun in everyday interactions.

“Where requested, staff should give a transgender pupil access to toilets which match their gender identity, unless there is a good reason not to do so.”

The proposed new English guidance makes it clear “parents should not be excluded” from knowing that a child is claiming to be a different gender, and that a “cautious approach” should be taken to such claims.

• New transgender advice for teachers: What it means for England and how Northern Ireland compares

On Monday, Mr Allister had written to Mr Givan to ask “whether he will make representations to the Education Authority to withdraw its guidance for schools”.

Mr Givan has now responded: “My officials are considering the current guidance in light of emerging practice and potential legislative changes elsewhere.

"I have asked that this matter be concluded expeditiously and following that I will determine an appropriate course of action.”

Mr Allister has urged him not just to mull the issue, but to take action.

"In GB the government has stepped in to reassert parental primacy,” said Mr Allister.

"It is this that I am pushing minister Givan to follow.

"I trust he does, though this answer only commits him to examine the issue. He needs to act.”

Mr Givan now sits in a cabinet with Alliance minister Naomi Long and Andrew Muir, who have been supportive of transgender campaigners, as have many figures in Sinn Fein.

Transgender lobbyists gave a hostile reaction to the Tories’ planned re-write of English schools’ transgender guidance, with Stonewall calling it “actively dangerous” and saying it suggests “trans children are not worthy of respect or protection from harassment”.

Meanwhile Mermaids said that children need an “accepting and supportive school environment to learn and be their authentic selves – but the UK government’s draft trans guidance for schools in England seeks to prevent that”, adding that it puts young people “at risk”.

The Tory Party has been generally accommodating to the demands of transgender activists over the last decade.

In 2018 Penny Mordaunt, then the equalities minister – and now potentially a replacement for Rishi Sunak as party leader – set out proposals to make it easier to switch gender, declaring that “transmen are men and transwomen are women” (though the party was forced to shelve these plans due to an outcry by feminist activists).

Under her watch, her office also declared that people can be “non-binary” (stating that “non-binary people are members of our society and should be treated with respect”) – meaning that some people are neither male or female, but instead belong to a series of hitherto-unknown genders including “two spirit”, “neutrois”, “gender fluid” or “pangender”.

• Penny Mordaunt claims she’s been ‘smeared’ over her transgender stance and insists she never backed ‘self-ID’ – so what did she ACTUALLY say?

But there has been a shift in attitude within some the party recently, with senior figures expressing doubt about the claims of transgender activists.

The planned re-write of the guidance which is given to English schools is arguably the clearest signal yet of this change of direction.