‘We’re going to follow the child’s lead’
Liberal government restores Policy 713 to remove parental consent requirement for students wanting to adopt new pronouns, names related to their gender identity
The new Liberal government has fulfilled a key campaign promise two months after taking office, not only restoring a progressive policy on student gender identity but taking it further.
The province announced Thursday afternoon that Policy 713 - which focuses on sexual orientation and gender identity of students - has once again been revised to respect students’ preferred pronouns and names as part of discovering their gender identities.
Former premier Blaine Higgs and his Education minister, Bill Hogan, had changed Policy 713 during their time in power requiring parent consent for name changes and alternate pronouns for any student under the age of 16.
It proved to be a controversial and divisive move that played prominently in this fall’s provincial election campaign that saw Susan Holt and her Liberals win by a landslide.
Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Claire Johnson announced that the Liberal government was doing away with the changes made by Higgs’ Progressive Conservative government, fulfilling a Liberal campaign promise.