The Department of Education will consider changes to guidance for schools on LGBTQI+ issues, including the use of pronouns for trans students, once a review of its existing guidance is completed in the coming months.
A current “resource” for schools – a document produced by the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network entitled Being LGBT in School – is being independently reviewed.
It is intended that an updated resource, in line with best practice, will be issued to schools once the review is complete, the department said.
According to a spokeswoman, it is not making “any assumptions on the outcome of the review but will consider the review once it’s done and will take appropriate next steps”.
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The review is being conducted by researchers based in the Maynooth University School of Education, who were awarded the contract after a tender process, the Department of Education said.
The principal reviewer is Dr Angela Ricard, supported by Prof Bernie Anne Grummell and Prof Deirdre Forde.
Maynooth said it is proud of its record in promoting inclusion in education. The university’s guidelines on gender expression and identity require staff members to use the preferred pronouns of trans staff and students.
“Every effort should be made to ensure that you use the identified preferred pronoun... If you accidentally use the wrong pronoun, apologise and swiftly adjust your language,” the Maynooth guidelines say, though there is no suggestion this means the review will recommend a similar policy for schools.
Grummell is a member of the University’s Athena Swan committee. Athena Swan is a system of accreditation for higher education institutes that seek to promote gender diversity and LGTBQI+ inclusion.
Grummell also contributed to an EU resource on inclusion in education, the Tutor project, which recommended it should be mandatory for schools to have the Belong To quality mark. This would require teachers to undergo mandatory training on inclusion for LGBT and trans students.
Belong To is a group which advocates and provides resources for LGTBQI+ young people.
The Irish Times contacted the three members of the review group, but all referred queries to the Department of Education.
Meanwhile, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL), which recently published a guide to the rights of trans and non-binary people, has said it does not maintain that it is a legal obligation for schools to use the preferred pronouns for trans students.
An earlier statement given by the ICCL to The Irish Times said: “It is ICCL’s assessment, confirmed by legal advice received while drafting the guide, that schools must use students’ correct pronouns.”
The original ICCL guide stated:
“Do I have a right to have my correct name and pronoun used in school?
“According to Department of Education guidelines, your school must make every effort to update your name and pronoun in relevant systems and documents. It must also use your correct name and pronoun in day-to-day interactions... The Equal Status Acts 2000-2018 prohibit discrimination on the ground of gender, which typically covers trans and non-binary people. If you feel that your school is discriminating against you because you are trans or non-binary, you and your parent(s) or guardian(s) may choose to take a complaint to the Workplace Relations Commission.”
The ICCL guide, which was funded by a State body, the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, was written by members of Teni and Shoutout, organisations which lobby for trans and LGBTQI+ people, with support from ICCL staff and legal advisers.
Solicitors provided a “legal review”, but have declined to answer questions regarding their role.
