Children as young as 11 are being asked if they are transgender, non-binary or pansexual in a study part-funded by taxpayers and Andy Burnham’s office.
The #BeeWell survey is a Manchester University project to assess wellbeing in youngsters, covering topics such as mental health, eating habits and engagement with school.
However, the questionnaire distributed to secondary school pupils also asks them about their ‘gender identity’ and sexuality.
The gender options offered are ‘girl (including trans girl); boy (including trans boy); non-binary; not sure; or I describe myself in another way’.
The ‘sexual orientation’ options include bisexual, pansexual, lesbian or heterosexual. Pansexuals feel romantic, emotional or sexual attraction to people of all genders.
In a ‘gender modality’ section, pupils are told: ‘Some young people are transgender. Do you consider yourself to be transgender?’ It explains that this means ‘someone’s gender is different to the one they were assigned at birth’.
The questions were added to the annual survey ‘following feedback from young people’, organisers said.
It is funded by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), which represents Greater Manchester mayor Mr Burnham plus ten local councils, Manchester University and a number of charities.
However, critics fear that it is part of the normalisation of contested gender ideology in schools.
In July, the Government updated its relationships, sex and health education guidance to say schools ‘should not teach as fact that all people have a gender identity’.
Shadow education secretary Laura Trott said: ‘It’s deeply inappropriate for children as young as 11 to be asked about their gender identity or sexuality.
‘Schools must not replace biological reality with contested beliefs. Gender ideology is still being pushed in schools.’
Stephanie Davies-Arai, of the campaign group Transgender Trend, said: ‘Inviting children to select the category “girl (including trans girl)” is blatant indoctrination of children to believe the trans-activist propaganda trans women are women.’
Ms Davies-Arai warned parents to be aware that surveys given to their children at school may contain ‘gender ideology… normalising the idea that gender identity is the reality, not biological sex’.
The survey has been running since 2021, and all data is confidential and anonymised. The 30-minute online test is optional, with pupils able to skip questions.
Its director, James Robertson, said parents can opt children out, and gender identity and sexual orientation questions ‘ensure every young person feels understood and supported’.
The GMCA said #BeeWell was ‘important for understanding the wellbeing of young people’.
It comes ahead of the Government publishing its long-awaited official guidance on gender-questioning children. It was published in draft form under the Tories and went under consultation. However, it has been paused since Labour came to power.
A Department for Education spokesman said: ‘It is vital that we take the time needed to carefully consider the consultation responses and all the relevant evidence on this very complex issue.
‘This includes the findings of Dr Hilary Cass’s review, which will be central to the action we take.
‘We will soon set out next steps and how we will support schools to make decisions regarding children who are questioning their gender.’
Police have been accused of caring more about transgender people’s feelings than the law in the wake of April’s Supreme Court judgment on the definition of a woman.
The Daily Mail has found that some commanders formed ‘gold groups’ – which are usually set up in the wake of major crimes – to consider the ruling, which prevents trans women from using female-only spaces.
One chief said she was focusing on the ‘emotional impact’ on officers, a second set up a ‘listening circle’ and a third held a meeting for staff ‘like sessions held following the murder of George Floyd’.
Harry Miller, of the Fair Cop free-speech campaign group, said officers who were ‘triggered’ by the ruling ‘should seek another profession’.
