Transgender and gender diverse children : primary school principals’ perspectives

Although most transgender adults say they were questioning their gender before they left primary school, there is little research on how primary school principals understand the needs of transgender and gender diverse children and how they accommodate their needs in their schools. School environments are places where transgender and gender diverse students can feel unsafe and experience gender incongruence, which can lead to self-harm and suicide. As primary school principals can be instrumental in effecting change in their schools it is imperative for them to understand the needs of transgender and gender diverse children, and for these children to feel included and safe in a primary school environment. This research project was designed to assess the depth of primary school principals’ understanding about the needs of transgender and gender diverse students and to ascertain if and how they are accommodating the needs of these students in their schools.

In this qualitative study, eight primary school principals participated in two semi-structured interviews to reveal their understanding of transgender and gender diverse children based on Bachmann’s (2020) framework of objectual understanding. The transcripts of the interviews were coded thematically according to Bachmann’s (2020) levels of objectual understanding and presented as narratives through which the principals’ stories added to the inquiry’s depth. Key findings from the research indicated that, although primary school principals understood how to cater for the needs of individual students in general, there was no evidence to suggest that they grasped the likelihood of transgender and gender diverse students being enrolled in their schools, or that they understood their specific needs. It is recommended that professional development be implemented for primary school principals to establish shared understandings of transgender and gender diversity. Support from gender inclusive policies and guidelines would support principals develop inclusive practices. Gender binary systems and organisations, that still exist in primary schools, could be thoughtfully deconstructed and a whole school approach used to create a gender inclusive learning environment to meet the needs of transgender and gender diverse students.