Gender Identity In Schools

School’s Program. Based from an article written by Alphonso (2017) on gender issues’ effects on schools and on students’ relationship inside the school and her interview with the B.C.’s Education Minister, it is imperative that the school provide a quality and equal treatment towards the students for them to feel welcome regardless of their gender role. Despite this statement, there are also other several groups of parents who opposed this kind of idea and seeks to eradicate sexual orientation and gender identity in the schools’ anti-bullying polices and codes of conduct. Furthermore, there are states in the United States of America which greatly supports and accepts the existence of the full spectrum of gender identity and expression. According

According to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction of the State of Washington (2017), students, have the right to express their gender at school without discrimination of harassment, but in accordance of the school’s dress code. Whether they are transgender or not, students who wish to have greater privacy are given the access to alternative restrooms with better privacy that conforms to their gender identity. Schools have the authority and the discretion whether they accept the existence of the full spectrum of gender identity or not. However, the school must also consider the parents’ wishes and the needs of the students in terms of privacy and rights to freedom of gender expression (Gov.UK,

As cited by the Gender Spectrum (n.d.), school is the most powerful socializing force and a venue for the students to identify their true gender identity. Students are not able to express fully themselves since they have received cues from their educational institutions about what is or is not acceptable. Factors inside the school have been the most prominent indicator of the students’ gender identity due to the idea that the students spend more time in school and provide them opportunity to learn more about the gender spectrum. According to Bigler, Hayes & Hamilton (2013), teachers and peers are the primary factors affecting gender identity and expression of the students by directly providing males and females with different learning opportunities and feedback. These two factors are also the sources of learning about gender itself. Teachers provide curricular materials that contain gender stereotypic behavior, and peers presents gender stereotypic attitudes and behavior. These stereotypes and prejudice will in turn be students’ guide to their own preferences and behaviors. According to National Center for Transgender Equality (n.d.), students who do not conform to the gender norms are often subjected to discrimination and bullying by their own mentors or fellow students. This event causes the students to feel limited in terms of their gender expression; thus, destroying their own self-esteem and isolating themselves from social