School gender plans ‘redefine childhood’

PLANS to let children as young as five to choose their gender will ‘redefine childhood’ swapping ‘carefreeness for angst’, a leading expert has said.

Dr James Eglinton, lecturer in reformed theology at the University of Edinburgh, hit out at plans which could see primary school pupils asked to decide for themselves whether they are a boy, a girl – or neither.

Teaching materials from Education Scotland, the Scottish Government and the NHS advise that youngsters should be told, ‘your gender is what you decide’, with Curriculum for Excellence guidelines stating ‘children need to learn about gender’ in order to ‘learn about themselves’.

But Dr Eglinton said that the proposals would pile pressure on to children who are already faced with far more responsibility at a young age than previous generations.

He added: ‘The weight of existential responsibility this task places on young children – to have self-knowledge, undirected even by their parents, and to define themselves on that basis – gives us cause for concern.

‘Compared with how previous generations of Scots experienced their early years, this new responsibility has scope to redefine childhood profoundly.

‘By normalising childhood, these guidelines risk something more problematic: a modern childhood that swaps carefreeness for angst.’

The guidelines are contained in online educational resource Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenthood, which is designed to be used in schools and early learning settings.

Scottish Conservative education spokesman Liz Smith has condemned the plans saying it is not appropriate for youngsters to be pushed on gender topics.

She said: ‘I do not believe five-year-olds are in any position to make an informed judgment about this matter, therefore I do not think it is appropriate to encourage them to do so. I also believe this is the view of the vast majority of parents.’