ABSTRACT
Gender is fluid, relative and, crucially, non-binary. The new way of talking about gender feels like it should be empowering for children. They have the freedom to place themselves on the gender spectrum wherever they feel comfortable and surely that has got to be a good thing. For most of the twentieth century, the gender debate centred around whether or not girls were getting as many opportunities to succeed as boys, and whether schools were doing enough to reflect the different needs of both sexes in the classroom and beyond. For children whose gender identity feels wildly out of kilter with their biological sex, the decision to transition can be difficult and traumatic. The practical questions arising for schools in re-thinking gender boundaries are clear and are referenced by a number of contributors. Some gender stereotypes are rooted in what might be described as broad truth. Children may also be affected by gender in the lives of adults around them.
