School and education
system
"
Some schools encourage children and adolescents to “socially transition” even without their parents’ consent.
In Switzerland, the school curricula “Lehrplan 21” and “plan d’études romand” (PER), implemented in 2014 and 2011 respectively, do not mention the concept of “gender identity”. However, many schools in Switzerland explore the topic of “gender identity” in class.
The Council of Europe’s recommendation
In March 2010, the Council of Europe, of which Switzerland is a member, published a list of recommended measures to fight discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity. In the chapter “Education”, they write that, in the interest of the child, “member states should take appropriate legislative and other measures, addressed to educational staff and pupils, to ensure that the right to education can be effectively enjoyed without discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity”. The idea is to promote “mutual tolerance and respect in schools”. They add that this should include “providing objectiveinformation with respect to sexual orientation and gender identity, for instance in school curricula and educational materials”, and conclude by saying that these measures should take into account the rights of parents regarding the education of their children.
Unfortunately, schools in Switzerland often do not have the best interests of the child in mind, and sometimes the rights of parents regarding the education and/or protection of their children is also disregarded.
How is “gender ideology” taught in schools?
“Gender ideology” is taught in the context of sex education or anti-discrimination and anti-bullying awareness programs provided by “transgender” and LGBTQ lobby groups, as well as state-employed health professionals.
Sex education and anti-bullying/discrimination awareness in the French speaking part of Switzerland is taught by various groups and organisations (Geneva: SSEJ, Fédération genevoise des associations LGBT, le Refuge; Vaud: PROFA; Valais: SIPE; Fribourg: CFSS; Jura: Association des animatrices en education sexuelle,Neuchâtel: GSN; Berne: ASEPE, Ticino: Commissione per l’educazione affettiva e sessuale nella scuola (CEAS))
Santé Sexuelle Suisse (Sexual Health Switzerland) provides brochures which promote the concepts of “gender identity” and medical “transition” (Hey You!, My sex and I, Ta sexualité, tes droits, Sexesss, Elephantine & Renardo) as well as documents about “children’s sexual rights”, which are widely available
Schools also invite “trans” lobby groups, such as Agnodice and Transgender Network Switzerland (TGNS), to talk about “gender identity”. Both organisations offer counselling and training on “gender identity”. They also provide schools with guidelines on best practice with regard to “transitioning” kids in schools. Furthermore, La Fédération genevoise des Associations LGBT (the umbrella organisation of LGBT associations in Geneva) has been asked by the Department of Public Education of the Canton of Geneva to carry out trainings and awareness-raising programs in schools, as well as for teachers. Similarily, in the Canton of Vaud, Voqueer, an LGBTQ organization based in Lausanne, makes regular visits to schools to talk about “gender identity” and other topics.
Materials
The reference framework for sex education in French-speaking Switzerland, published by Santé Sexuelle Suisse in 2014, distinguishes sex from “gender” without defining its meaning, and suggests that the concept of “gender” or “sexual identity” should be introduced to children between ages 4 and 8. Sex education for 10 to 13-year-olds explores “the difference between sexual identity and biological sex”. Adolescents aged 12 to 15 are taught about “sexual identity” and the way this concept differs from sexual orientation.
In 2022, Gender Identity lobbyists in Switzerland published a document on “best practice” for “transitioning” kids in schools. This document, written by Agnodice, states that children who question their “gender” should be encouraged to change their name and pronouns, and given advice regarding drugs and surgeries. The document also talks about “diversity of genders”, “change of gender”, “gender congruence”, “psychological difficulties” and “suicidal ideation and actual suicide attempts”, and it declares that “anyone can be transgender”. Signs that might indicate that a child or an adolescent is “transgender” are, among others, non-conformity to gender stereotypes and whether the child or the adolescent is suffering e.g. from depression. If a child or an adolescent is questioning her or his gender, he or she should be referred to Agnodice. Then, the first step for the child is to have a meeting with the head of the school together with their parents and Agnodice. Agnodice strongly encourages the school to adopt the new name and pronouns of the child, and to allow her or him to use the facilities of the opposite sex. Then there will be a lecture to the class, which is told that pupils must accept the situation and “avoid violence and discrimination”. Agnodice recommends that the school change the name of the child in all documents. They also suggest that a “transaffirmative approach” invites people to “explore possibilities”, and allows young people to “deconstruct bodily imperatives” (e.g. having a vulva to be a woman, having a penis to be a man, only women menstruate). The document also talks about “sex assigned at birth”, instead of the material, biological reality of sex, which is observed at birth. If parents oppose the “social transition” of their child, Agnodice offers to mediate, but if the parents persist, Agnodice advises to act in the interest of the child, i.e. to refer the case to Child Protection Services. In the brochure’s preamble, Agnodice warns readers of “false information” from groups who question or oppose child and youth “transition”.
In addition to being an advocacy group and counseling students in public schools on “gender”, Agnodice convenientely hosts Centre3, an “inclusive” private therapy service for “trans and non-binary” individuals.
TGNS uses the same document translated into German.
No place for gender non-confirming kids, and the danger of “social transition”
The Council of Europe states that its recommendations should be in the best interest of a child. But coercing a child into changing their name and pronouns and being regarded as the opposite sex may not be in the best interest of the child. Quite the opposite: it can have catastrophic consequences for the child.
According to the British pediatrician Hilary Cass, who published a review on gender clinics in the UK in 2024, children and adolescents who are uncomfortable in their body and present to gender clinics are very diverse and show complex profiles. Some have neurodivergent conditions, such as autism, some have mental health disorders. Others have encountered adverse childhood experiences (Cass Review, 2024, pp. 90-97.) Cass also notes that numerous adolescents presenting to gender clinics are same sex attracted. They could just grow up to be gay, lesbian or bisexual, if left alone, and very likely cease to identify as members of the opposite sex once they fully mature. Case in point, until 2010, the rare boys who expressed their wishes to be girls were not “affirmed” as the other sex and reconciled with their sex after puberty. Two thirds grew up to be gay or bisexual adult men (Singh et al, 2021). All of these children and adolescents need to be protected from self-harm.
But gender identity ideology ignores the heterogenous and complex profile of those vulnerable children or adolescents. Moreover, gender identity ideology creates pressure by reinforcing stereotypes that require women to conform to a certain type of femininity and men to a certain type of masculinity. This leaves precious little space for gender non-conforming expression.
Changing the name and pronouns of a child or adolescent is not without consequences for their health. According to Hilary Cass, “social transition” sterilization and loss of sexual functions.
The British feminist Sheila Jeffreys reminds us of dark chapters of history and warns: “[In the early and in the mid- twentieth century], sexual surgeries and drug treatments [were] employed to modify the behavior of the “unfit” [or] to regulate sex and gender.” (Jeffreys, 2014, p. 123) This practice was aimed at sterilization as a way of controlling or eliminating the underclass. Among those targeted were women, lesbians and gays. Jeffreys makes a link to today’s trend, and suggests that “transgendering“ children and adults might also be a new form of eliminating gender non-conformity (Jeffreys, 2014, p. 124). Just as in the past, lesbians and gay men are especially targeted, (Jeffreys, 2014, p. 134) and girls particularly concerned. Although “transgendering” people does not set out explicitly to sterilize them, it can do so as a side effect.
Femina Helvetica advocates for the right of young people to mature, develop and explore their sexuality and personalities without “gender identity” ideology. Children should be protected from “social transition” as well as medical interventions and sterilization.
Schools’ guidelines and parents losing custody
Most cantons in Switzerland have begun to draft rules on how schools should handle so-called “trans”-identified pupils. Rules are based on a “transaffirmative” approach and sometimes disregard the interests of parents.
In 2020 the Gender Equality Office of the City of Zurich commissioned a legal expertise on “trans kids” at school. A document of 50 pages was published which broadly supports the “social transitioning” of pupils.
In 2021 the Canton of Vaud published a press release announcing that Cesla Amarelle, Head of the Department of Education, Youth and Culture, had signed guidelines on “best practice” regarding “transgender” and “non-binary” pupils in schools. Parents are not part of the process.
In 2022, inspired by the Canton of Vaud, the Socialists and Centre parliamentarians of Valais drafted a postulate regarding “transgender” and “non-binary” pupils in school.
In 2024 the City of Basel published guidelines for schools on how to deal with “trans” pupils.
In 2024, after severe pushback from parents, Geneva amended its 2020 guidelines. Initially, parents had been excluded if they questioned or opposed their child’s “social transition”, but from July 2024, “social transition” of a child under the age of 15 without their parents’ consent is no longer permitted. However, Geneva’s school health board hints that parental disapproval of their child’s “social transition” is considered “child abuse”. This allows the school to refer the child to social services.
The press has reported on situations in Geneva and in the Canton of Vaud where parents were not made aware of the social transitioning of their children in schools. In some instances, parents lost custody of their “trans-identified” child and/or were engaged in court cases to prevent the social and/or medical “transition” of their child. In each case, schools went behind the parent’s back or against their will, in cooperation with “gender identity” organisations.
Femina Helvetica knows of similar situations that have also happened in the Cantons of Bern and Fribourg, where children have been taken away from their parents. These cases have not been publicized in the media.
The National Ethics Commission supports the “transaffirmative” approach, and has indicated that refusing to “socially transition” a child compromises its future. This position puts further pressure on parents who hesitate or refuse to “socially transition” their child.
At least, at the time of writing, the Council of Europe has stated that measures to combat discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity should “take into account the rights of parents regarding the education of their children.”
Femina Helvetica is critical of the “transaffirmative” approach. Schools should treat all children according to their sex and should not confuse children with the nebulous concepts of “gender”, “gender identity” or “transition”. Schools should never engage in the “social transition” of pupils, especially without the parents’ consent. Parents who do not affirm the “transgender identity” of their child should not lose custody.
Using the opposite-sex facilities? The duty of safeguarding, and girls’ right to privacy, dignity and safety
Some school guidelines on how to proceed when a child identifies as “trans” state that the child should be able to use the facilities of the sex he or she identifies with. This includes toilets, changing rooms, gym classes or dormitories in ski camps.
This approach does not take into consideration the basic principle of safeguarding for which all organizations working with children, young people and their families are responsible. Basic rules that aim to reduce risk take the material, biological reality of sex into account. Organizations should take all reasonable measures to ensure that the risks of harm are minimised, and where there are concerns, take appropriate action to address these. A person’s sex can be a risk factor for abuse, particularly sexual abuse. One flagrant example is the risk of becoming pregnant, which depends on sex, not “gender identity”.
Many institutions with safeguarding responsibilities are adopting policies that replace sex with “gender”, and set rules which require staff and young people to ignore a person’s sex if they prefer to be referred to as the opposite sex, or to make it taboo to talk about this. This conflicts with safeguarding principles.
Some schools are even choosing to replace single-sex toilets with mixed-sex facilities with the intention of being “inclusive” – to the detriment of girls. It is known that, as a consequence, girls are avoiding mixed-sex toilets out of discomfort and embarassment and to avoid the risk of sexual assault. Their need for privacy, especially during menstruation, due to their possible discomfort when changing menstrual products, has been completely disregarded.
The act of including male pupils in girls’ spaces violates the boundaries of females. It informs girls and young women that they do not have the right to set healthy and safe boundaries. Girls have the right to dignity, privacy and safety, rights which are undermined when boys or men enter their single-sex spaces.
The protection of single-sex facilities concerns boys as well. Boys’ toilets are often made up of an open space equipped with urinals. Femina Helvetica knows of a male pupil who strongly opposed a girl (who claimed to be a boy) entering the boys’ toilets. On expressing his discomfort, the male pupil was immediately silenced by his teacher.
Too many of the current policies which aim to make schools more inclusive to “trans” pupils do so at the expense of girls (and boys). As a result, pupils will self-exclude from these spaces.
Staff and parents raising safeguarding concerns are dismissed as “transphobic” or pressured into using language that disguises risks. Safeguarding systems can only work if people are able to speak clearly about those risks. The ability to talk frankly and truthfully about the material, biological reality of sex, in policies and procedures, and between individuals and agencies, is critical to informing consent, identifying risks and preventing harm.
Femina Helvetica demands that all single-sex facilities at schools are maintained. We advocate for safeguarding and for girls’ and boys’ right to privacy, dignity and safety at school.
Links to supporting documentation of this issue.
-
Recommendation CM/Rec(2010)5 by the Council of Europe on measures to combat discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity, adopted in 2010
https://search.coe.int/cm#{%22CoEIdentifier%22:[%2209000016805cf40a%22],%22sort%22:[%22CoEValidationDate%20Descending%22]} -
Several documents published by Santé sexuelle Suisse
https://shop.sante-sexuelle.ch/fr/1~10~SGS/Matériel-d%27information?c=121&hfffid_1-500_1-10=on&hffid=SGS,%20FilterSGS,%20FilterSSGS -
“Cadre de référence pour l’éducation sexuelle en Suisse romande » (Reference framework for sex education in French-speaking Switzerland), published by Santé sexuelle Suisse
https://www.educationsexuelle-ecole.ch/ck/ckfinder/userfiles/files/Cadre%20de%20reference%20romands.pdf -
Voqueer visiting schools in Canton Vaud to talk about “gender identity” among other.
https://www.rts.ch/audio-podcast/2025/audio/homophobie-5-5-cas-d-ecole-28924784.html -
Material published by Agnodice « Guide de bonnes pratiques lors d’une transition de genre dans un établissement scolaire et de formation » (Guide to good practices during a gender transition in an educational and training establishment)
https://agnodice.ch/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Guide_de_bonnes_pratiques_2022_WEB.pdf -
Material published by Transgender Network Switzerland “Trans Schüler_Innen: Best-Practice-Leitfaden für eine Transition in Schule und Ausbildung“ (Best practice guide for a transition in schools and training)
https://www.tgns.ch/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Leitfaden_Trans_Schueler_innen_TGNS_2019_Web.pdf -
Website of La Fédération genevoise des Associations LGBT (The umbrella organisation of LGBT association in Geneva) stating their partnership with the Department of Public Education of the Canton of Geneva
https://federationlgbt-geneve.ch/projets/ecoles/programme-dactions-de-formation-et-de-sensibilisation/ -
Hilary Cass Review, 2024
https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20250310143642/https://cass.independent-review.uk/ -
Jeffreys, Sheila, Gender Hurts: A feminist analysis of the politics of transgenderism, 2014
-
Guidelines for the City of Zurich regarding trans kids in schools, drafted by Andrea Büchler in 2020
https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/193391/2/Kurzfassung_Expertise_Buchler.pdf -
Guidelines by the City of Basel regarding trans kids in schools, published in 2024https://www.bs.ch/medienmitteilungen/ed/2024-neuer-leitfaden-fuer-schulen-zum-umgang-mit-trans-schuelerinnen
-
Postulate by socialist and center parliamentarians in Valais regarding a better inclusion of “transgender” and “non-binary” pupils at school.
https://parlement.vs.ch/app/fr/document/175859 -
Press release announcing Amarelle’s guidelines on “best practice” regarding “transgender” and “non-binary” pupils in schools. https://www.vd.ch/actualites/communiques-de-presse-de-letat-de-vaud/detail/communique/accompagnement-des-eleves-transgenres-et-non-binaires-dans-lecole-vaudoise-1639382300.pdf
-
Guideline on the support of transgender and/or non-binary pupils and apprentices in the context of school or vocational training in Geneva (August 2024)
https://www.ge.ch/document/directive-accompagnement-dans-cadre-scolaire-formation-professionnelle-eleves-apprenties-apprentis-transgenres/non-binaires -
Article in Le Temps, “Transitions de genre: l’école genevoise accusée d’écarter les parents », as of 29th March, 2023
https://www.letemps.ch/suisse/geneve/transitions-genre-lecole-genevoise-accusee-decarter-parents