Education Secretary Gillian Keegan says gender identity ‘should not be taught in schools at any age’

Published

1 year ago

May 17, 2024

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Gender identity “should not be taught in schools at any age”, the education secretary has said after new draft guidance on relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) was published on Thursday.

The draft guidance for schools in England was compiled following concerns that children were being exposed to “inappropriate” content.

It states that sex education should be taught no earlier than year five, when pupils are aged nine, and what is described as the “contested topic of gender identity” should not be taught at all.

In her foreword on the document, Gillian Keegan said the guidance is about giving children the “right information at the right time” but also ensuring “childhood innocence” isn’t taken away by being taught “too much too soon”.

The NSPCC criticised imposing age limits, saying children and young people must be empowered to “recognise when something isn’t right and seek help when it’s needed”.

The children’s charity added now should be the time to “embed” lessons on life-enhancing skills rather than “back-track on RSE in schools”.

Ms Keegan said while gender reassignment should be taught, “schools should not teach about the contested issue of gender identity, including that gender is a spectrum”.

“Whilst protected characteristics such as gender reassignment should be taught, they must be done so on a factual basis, at an appropriate age and not based on contested ideology,” she added.

‘Evidence pupils being taught there could be 72 genders’

Ms Keegan launched the review after there had been “some evidence from some people” that pupils were being taught that there could be “72 genders” and gender could “change daily” as facts.

Speaking in the House of Commons after the guidance was published, Labour’s shadow education minister Catherine McKinnell said: “Teaching children about the facts of the world in which they grow up must include an understanding that there are people who are transgender, that people can go through a process of change of their gender, and that the law provides for that.”

Guidance on harmful sexual behaviour published

Subjects around what constitutes harmful sexual behaviour in relationships, the concepts and laws relating to sexual harassment, revenge porn, sexual exploitation and abuse, grooming, stalking and forced marriage should not be taught before year seven (age 11), the guidance states.

While the risks of inappropriate online content such as pornography can be discussed “in an age-appropriate way” from year seven, the details of sexual acts should not be discussed before year nine (age 13) it adds.

When it comes to laws relating to sexual violence, including rape and sexual assault, the guidance sets out it is important for pupils to understand the key principles around such offences including what consent means, but says “schools should not teach about this in any sexually explicit way before year nine”.

Politics

Rachel Reeves ‘a gnat’s whisker’ from having to raise taxes, says IFS

Published

7 hours ago

June 12, 2025

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Rachel Reeves 'a gnat's whisker' from having to raise taxes, says IFS

Rachel Reeves is a “gnat’s whisker” away from having to raise taxes in the autumn budget, a leading economist has warned – despite the chancellor insisting her plans are “fully funded”.

Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), said “any move in the wrong direction” for the economy before the next fiscal event would “almost certainly spark more tax rises”.

‘Sting in the tail’ in chancellor’s plans – politics latest

Speaking the morning after she delivered her spending review, which sets government budgets until 2029, Ms Reeves told Wilfred Frost hiking taxes wasn’t inevitable.

“Everything I set out yesterday was fully costed and fully funded,” she told Sky News Breakfast.

Her plans – which include £29bn for day-to-day NHS spending, £39bn for affordable and social housing, and boosts for defence and transport – are based on what she set out in October’s budget.

That budget, her first as chancellor, included controversial tax hikes on employers and increased borrowing to help public services.

Chancellor won’t rule out tax rises

The Labour government has long vowed not to raise taxes on “working people” – specifically income tax, national insurance for employees, and VAT.

Ms Reeves refused to completely rule out tax rises in her next budget, saying the world is “very uncertain”.

The Conservatives have claimed she will almost certainly have to put taxes up, with shadow chancellor Mel Stride accusing her of mismanaging the economy.

Taxes on businesses had “destroyed growth” and increased spending had been “inflationary”, he told Sky News.

New official figures showed the economy contracted in April by 0.3% – more than expected. It coincided with Donald Trump imposing tariffs across the world.

Ms Reeves admitted the figures were “disappointing” but pointed to more positive figures from previous months.

‘Sting in the tail’

She is hoping Labour’s plans will provide more jobs and boost growth, with major infrastructure projects “spread” across the country – from the Sizewell C nuclear plant in Suffolk, to a rail line connecting Liverpool and Manchester.

But the IFS said further contractions in the economy, and poor forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility, would likely require the chancellor to increase the national tax take once again.

It said her spending review already accounted for a 5% rise in council tax to help local authorities, labelling it a “sting in the tail” after she told Sky’s Beth Rigby that it wouldn’t have to go up.

Politics

Trump addresses Coinbase summit to discuss crypto plans

Published

9 hours ago

June 12, 2025

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Trump addresses Coinbase summit to discuss crypto plans

The US president has spoken in person at the Bitcoin 2024 conference in Nashville and released a video message for the Digital Asset Summit in New York City.