Primary school transgender guidance scrapped by CCEA

Guidance to Northern Ireland primary schools that children can become aware that they are transgender “between the ages of three and five” has been removed.

The guidance was part of recent Relationship and Sex Education (RSE) resources provided by the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA).

But CCEA has recently reviewed LGBTQ+ guidance for primary schools contained on its online RSE hub.

In a statement to BBC News NI, CCEA said that the content “was removed as it referenced research which is over 10 years old”.

The previous guidance for primary schools stated that it aimed to support “transgender or gender-questioning children”.

“Research shows that transgender young people become aware that their assigned birth sex is different from their gender identity between the ages of three and five,” it had said.

The guidance was based on research into the experiences of transgender young people in Northern Ireland funded by the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM), published in 2013., external

It had formed part of a much wider range of RSE resources provided by CCEA for schools to use.

Each school in Northern Ireland is required by the Department of Education to teach RSE to pupils.

But what is actually taught about RSE is a matter for each school to decide based on their school ethos.

However, following a law change at Westminster in 2023 post-primary schools in Northern Ireland will be expected in future to teach pupils about issues such as access to abortion and prevention of early pregnancy.