Scottish government accused of 'educational safeguarding scandal' over transgender guidance

Educational psychologists and social workers from the campaign group ScotPAG have spoken out as they pursue a meeting with cabinet secretary Jenny Gilruth.

ScotPAG first asked the minister for a face to face meeting in October last year.

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After pressure from opposition MSPs and repeated requests, the group was offered an online audience with civil servants.

Carolyn Brown, ScotPAG Convenor and a retired Depute Principal Educational Psychologist, said: “Until a very recent online meeting lasting 45 minutes, the Scottish government has chosen to ignore our various attempts to engage and highlight our concerns regarding the safeguarding risks that embedding the adult concept transgenderism brings to our schools.

“Over the last 10 years, the Scottish government has, either unwittingly or wilfully, promoted the adult concept of transgenderism in all our schools.

“ScotPAG’s conclusion is that the Scottish government has created an educational safeguarding scandal in the name of promoting a contested ideology.”

The group wrote to Ms Gilruth on October 19 last year and sent follow up reminders without response.

At education committee, Scottish Tory MSP Douglas Ross raised the matter directly with Ms Gilruth who then passed the meeting to civil servants.

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ScotPAG members who met with the government representatives included a Professor Emerita from Queen Margaret University, a Senior Social Worker; a retired NHS Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist), a retired Director of Education) and Ms Brown.

“ScotPAG’s membership includes various highly experienced professionals, with extensive knowledge and expertise of childhood development who have, for a number of years, tried repeatedly to engage with the Scottish government in attempts to warn it about the harms caused to children and their families about the promotion of the adult concept, transgenderism and the ideological approach taken by organisations such as LGBTYS,” Ms Brown said.

The government’s Supporting Transgender Young People: Guidance for Schools in Scotland was first published in 2017 by LGBT Youth Scotland.

In 2019, ministers announced it would be replaced and a new set of guidance was produced in 2021.

Following the For Women Scotland Supreme Court ruling, which set out the definition of “sex” in law, the government said it would revise the guidance for a third time.

However, gender-critical professionals believe the guidance to still be unsatisfactory.

Ms Brown added: “Given children’s suggestibility, the placement itself of the adult term ‘transgender’ in educational documents, support groups and the curriculum, has impacted on safeguarding protocols.

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“It has led some children to be manipulated to think that they are ‘born in the wrong body’ and can change sex, thereby causing further psychological confusion and family impact.

“There are various families who have been damaged in major ways as a result.”

A Scottish government spokesman said: “Scottish government officials met with ScotPAG last month - it is wrong to suggest that the government is ignoring the group on this issue.”

He added that the Transgender Young People in Schools guidance “helps schools create safe, supportive environments while respecting all pupils' rights”.

“Local authorities are responsible for the delivery of education and it is for them to use the guidance as they see fit,” he said.