There is a call on the Department of Education, teaching unions and child welfare experts to sit down with parents and try and formulate clear and practical guidelines for schools around the issue of ‘pronouns’.
That’s according to Aontú Cllr Emer Tóibín, who says she has been contacted by a number of teachers seeking guidance on how to respond if a student requests to be addressed by ‘preferred’ pronouns.
Councillor Toibin contacted Kieran Christie, the General Secretary of ASTI, to ask if there was any formal guidance for teachers, but his response was that the organisation can only discuss this matter directly with its members. This has left many teachers without the clarity they are looking for.
Emer says that some teachers are simply not comfortable using anything other than a student’s given name and biological pronouns, and they would appreciate clear direction, so they are not left to navigate this sensitive issue alone.
Councillor Toibin joins us on The Agenda this morning to talk to us some more about this.