Anti-bullying rules updated for Anglican schools

Decision highlights deep divisions between church liberals and conservatives

LONDON— In new rules to counter bullying in its 4,700 schools, the Church of England said Monday that children should be able to “play with the many cloaks of identity” in the classroom, fuelling a debate over the handling of gender among the very young.

The discussion has illuminated deep divisions between Anglican conservatives defending traditional values and those seeking a more liberal approach.

In a directive called “Valuing All God’s Children,” the church said elementary school students “should be at liberty to explore the possibilities of who they might be without judgment or derision.”

“For example, a child may choose the tutu, princess’s tiara and heels and/or the fireman’s helmet, tool belt and superhero cloak without expectation or comment,” it said.

“Childhood has a sacred place for creative self-imagining.”

The Most Rev. Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, who leads the Church of England and is the spiritual leader of the world’s 80 million Anglicans, endorsed the guidelines.

“All bullying, including homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying causes profound damage, leading to higher levels of mental health disorders, self-harm, depression and suicide,” Welby wrote. “This guidance helps schools to offer the Christian message of love, joy and celebration of our humanity without exception or exclusion.”

When he was appointed in 2012, Welby said he was “always averse to the language of exclusion.”