Transgender Good Practice

Education Issues

The Sex Discrimination (Gender Reassignment) Regulations 1999 are of relevance to students studying further and higher education courses as FE/HE courses can count as vocational education and training. However, primary and secondary school education is not included within the category of vocational training and therefore transgender students at school have significantly less protection from transphobic discrimination than students at college or university.

As well as having less legal protection from discrimination, gender variant students in primary and secondary education appear more likely to experience bullying from other students than those in further and higher education.  This reduction in frequency of bullying as students move from school to college/university is partly to do with the increasing maturity level of their fellow students; partly to do with attendance ceasing to be compulsory so only those interested in studying to achieve qualifications will be in attendance; and partly due to the greater size and diversity of colleges and universities making it easier to build a supportive group of friends and avoid unsupportive peers.

An issue of great concern to transgender people who have transitioned is getting certificates of their educational qualifications reissued in their new name and acquired gender.  Good practice is to provide transgender people who have changed their names and titles with replacement certificates in their new name upon request.  Trans people should not have to wait until they have received Gender Recognition Certificates.