Parents know best

WHEN it comes to protecting the interests of a child, who knows best – the pupil’s parents or their school?

This question has become the latest front in the battle over transgender rights.

Amanda Spielman, the Chief Inspector of Schools, has entered the debate with a laudable blast of common sense.

Contrary to what trans activists argue, she says it is a ‘safeguarding risk’ for teachers not to tell the parents if their child wants to change their gender identity.

Not only might such youngsters be at heightened risk of self-harm, but if a teacher encourages social transitioning, it risks putting the child on a path to irreversible medical treatment they may later regret.

When children are in the classroom, schools act in loco parentis. But keeping parents in the dark about their child’s potentially life-altering decisions is a grotesque betrayal of trust.

IF Mr Sunak wants to dispel concerns he’s going soft on Brexit, he should keep his promise to scrap all outdated eU laws on the statute book. Torching up to 4,000 throttling rules would save businesses and consumers billions, attract investment, boost economic recovery – and burnish his tarnished credentials as a true Brexiteer.