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One of the UK’s top-performing state schools has asked its staff to start using “gender-neutral language” when talking to or about its pupils.
The management of Altrincham Grammar School for Girls in Manchester said that using the word “girl” could result in pupils who are changing sex being ‘misgendered’.
According to the new directive, pupils are likely to be addressed as ‘students’ instead.
The school has informed parents.
In a letter to parents, principal Stephanie Gill said the rethink came in response to “the challenges facing our students who are questioning their gender identity or who do not identify as girls”
This is inspite of the fact the school is a all girls school, it does not admit boys.
Gill added: “We are working to break ingrained habits in the way we speak to and about students, particularly referring to them collectively as ‘girls’.”
The letter goes on to say that “for many transgender students being misgendered can be very hurtful” and undermines efforts to demonstrate that ‘everyone is welcome’ at the school.
She said “staff have embraced these changes and are doing their best to implement this new policy”.