Milan, 13 February (LaPresse) – School-age children may be allowed to choose the gender pronouns by which they are identified by teachers, according to guidelines from the UK Department for Education, which emphasises that children who question their gender may need careful and thoughtful involvement from the school. Teachers will therefore receive guidance on pronouns from Education Minister Bridget Phillipson, which, in “exceptionally rare” cases, could also apply to children as young as four. The guidance presents some notable changes from a draft produced in 2023 under the Conservatives, which stated that for school-age children “no pronouns other than those based on sex should be used”. The guidelines will be mandatory and have been welcomed by some education union leaders. Phillipson said the aim was to provide pragmatic advice and not to use the issue as a ‘political football’. According to the guidelines, parents should be informed of children's requests in this regard, unless there is a particular risk to child protection, and schools should seek clinical advice where possible.