Tories raise concerns over 'inappropriate' primary school gender survey

Concerns have been raised over a "deeply inappropriate" survey that asked children in primary school about their gender identity.

The Scottish Conservatives criticised Aberdeen City Council for asking pupils whether they identify as transgender or non-binary.

The council said questions in the “physical wellbeing” survey were carefully considered and “deemed appropriate”.

Conservative MSP Meghan Gallacher said: “I’m astonished that this deeply inappropriate survey ever saw the light of day. Aberdeen City Council should withdraw it immediately, apologise to the parents and children concerned and launch an investigation as to who gave it the go-ahead and why.”

The Scottish Conservatives have raised concerns about the survey

She added: “Everyone wants to make life better for trans people but it’s wrong for young children to be asked complex question about gender identity when their minds and bodies are nowhere near fully developed.”

The Scottish Daily Mail reported that pupils are asked what gender they identify with and can select from either male, female, non-binary, transgender or other.

A council spokesman told the paper: “All children in P5-S6 were given the opportunity to participate in a physical wellbeing survey. Like all other surveys, young people have the option to opt out of this process before or during the activity.

“All questions were very carefully considered and through thorough review were deemed appropriate. These questions [have] been developed by a team of education support officers and reviewed by pupils, staff and parents prior to use last year. The questions within the survey are linked carefully to the health and wellbeing curriculum that is covered from P4 (2nd Level).

'The survey itself has very few identifiers, however it does include age and gender to help us identify appropriate supports. It has been recognised that through work in our schools a large number of young people identify as transgender or non-binary as well as male and female and we wanted to ensure that we provided an opportunity for them to respond openly.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said the survey was the council’s own and it had no involvement.