The Department for Education (DfE) has confirmed it has launched an investigation into a school at the centre of an animal and gender identity row.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has ordered a senior colleague to head up the probe into Rye College after a leaked recording heard one of its teachers brand a pupil “despicable” for stating there were only two genders.
In a statement to The Epoch Times on Thursday, a DfE spokesperson said that following the “concerning” reports, Keegan has appointed a regional director to “establish the full details of the case and whether the school requires any additional support.”
“We’ve been clear that teachers should not teach contested views as fact and it’s important that parents and carers are reassured their children aren’t being influenced by the personal views of those teaching them,” the spokesperson added.
The Church of England school also confirmed Thursday that staff had met with DfE officials to “share a comprehensive update on the events which took place before, during, and after the recording.”
The news comes just days after the shocking teacher–pupil exchange went viral on social media.
Reports stated the clash was over a classmate identifying as a cat, however, the school said that no pupils currently identify as a cat or “any other animal.”
‘3 Biological Sexes’
In the recording, heard by The Epoch Times, the teacher is heard saying to a pupil: “How dare you? You’ve just really upset someone, saying things like [you] should be in an asylum.”The pupil responds: “I didn’t say that. I just said that if they want to identify as a cow or something like that then, like, they are genuinely unwell and they’ve gone crazy.”
The teacher then states that the pupil was “questioning their identity” to which the girl disagrees.
“I was just saying about the gender, I haven’t said anything about them,” she told the teacher.
The pupil is then asked, “Where did you get this idea from there’s only two genders?”
The schoolgirl responds that it is her opinion, before the teacher says: “It’s not an opinion … Gender is not linked to the parts you were born with. Gender is about how you identify which is what I have said from the very beginning of the lesson.”
The teacher adds, “Biological sex, there is actually three biological sexes because you can be born intersex, you can be born with both male and female body parts or hormones.”
One pupil states, “If you have a vagina you’re a girl and if you have a penis you’re a boy—that’s it.”
The teacher interrupts: “What do you mean you can’t have it? It’s not a law […] Cisgender is not necessarily the way to be—you are talking about the fact that cisgender is the norm, that you identify with the sexual organ you were born with, that’s basically what you’re saying, which is really despicable.”
The teacher went on to suggest the girls were “homophobic” and confused, which they denied before saying their mothers would agree.
The teacher also suggests the pupils need to “go to a different school,” before saying she is reporting the teenagers to a senior school staff member.
In a statement to The Epoch Times on Thursday, the Aquinas Church of England Education Trust said: “We have now met with the Department for Education to share a comprehensive update on the events which took place before, during, and after the recording.
“This meeting was a positive step and we will continue working closely with them to ensure any appropriate action is taken.
“More widely, we understand that draft guidance on gender identity in schools is expected to be issued by the government soon and we would of course welcome what we hope will be clear and helpful guidance to support all teachers and schools in addressing gender identity going forward.
“This will be particularly useful in developing future training to ensure staff feel confident, well-equipped, and well-prepared to address these issues.”
The spokesperson said that the school remains committed to offering pupils “an inclusive education in line with best practice” and will continue to support teachers in “their endeavours to ensure that pupils’ views are listened to, and encourage them to ask questions and engage in discussion.”
Online Furore
The recording caused an online furore which led to senior Tories slamming the school at the centre of the so-called feline identity storm.On Monday, former Home Secretary Priti Patel shared the three-minute-long recording on Twitter, saying: “This Left-wing indoctrination of our young people is disturbing and must be stamped out of our schools.
“The Government must put the rights of parents first.”
The senior Tory went on to state that teachers have been sent “endless statutory guidance on these issues” agreed by ministers.
She added: “Conservative Ministers should have made a stronger the case for strengthening the rights of parents on sensitive issues inc sex education rather than conceding to groups who lobby.”
On Tuesday a spokesman for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said children should not be taught “contested opinions as fact,” and said they should not be influenced by the “personal views” of teachers when discussing transgender issues.
He told The Telegraph: “It’s important parents and carers are reassured that children aren’t being influenced by personal views of those teaching them.
“Any example that strays from this would be wrong and we would expect headteachers to act.”
Nadhim Zahawi, who was education secretary from September 2021 to June 2022, told the newspaper: “It is clear to everyone that schools need to stop the spread of this damaging nonsense.
“The government should make it clear to schools that they will be supported in standing up to the increasingly farcical examples that get in the way of teaching our children and preparing them for the real world.
Public Backlash
In a statement issued on Monday, Rye College confirmed that it was reviewing the incident.“We are committed to offering our pupils an inclusive education,” a spokesperson told The Epoch Times.
“Teachers endeavour to ensure that pupils’ views are listened to, and encourage them to ask questions and engage in discussion. Teachers also aim to answer questions sensitively and honestly.
“We strive to uphold the highest standards across the school. We will be reviewing our processes and working with the relevant individuals to ensure such events do not take place in the future.”
The school was forced to limit comments on its main social media accounts following a backlash from parents and members of the public.
One social media user wrote: “I have listened to the recording of the pupils and teacher. All i heard was pupils coming with facts and the teacher acting in a tyranical [sic] fashion. Basically agree with me or i’ll punish you by reporting you.”
Another said: “As [a] gay man can I just congratulate the girls in the video for calling out the utter nonsense the teacher was spouting.
“The children clearly have more of an understanding on sex and gender than the so called teacher.”
