We, the undersigned, are teachers, counsellors, social workers, and community & youth workers in/from Singapore. We were distressed to read about a transgender student’s experience of discrimination at her school, including claims that the Ministry of Education, Singapore (MOE) and her school interfered to stop her from receiving the hormone therapy that her doctor advised.

In response, MOE denied involvement while misgendering her in their statement (16 Jan). The student has continued to share her name, Ashlee, and further details with The Straits Times and TODAY.

As education and social service professionals, we have witnessed and heard about similar situations faced by transgender students in Singapore schools. We apologise for any way in which we may have made transgender and other LGBTQ+ students feel unsafe or unwelcome at school.

We want to do better by our young people.

We are aware of the evidence that transgender youths face higher risks of depression and suicide when prevented from transitioning. Delaying transition is not always an option, especially for students with severe gender dysphoria. It is our duty as school leaders, teachers and counsellors to help them manage the challenges that arise from transitioning at school, not to add to them or look away.

We hold MOE to their promise that they will “work closely with and respect the professional advice given by MOH’s healthcare professionals”. On this basis, we call on the Ministry to implement and communicate a clear policy on supporting transgender students at schools, in line with advice from healthcare professionals, and in consultation with the respective students and their families.

This policy should include advising school leaders, teachers and counsellors that:

1. They should defer to healthcare professionals in all decisions pertaining to a student’s physical and mental health, gender presentation, and transition, without interference from school leaders, teachers or counsellors and regardless of their personal preferences or beliefs.

2. There should not be any pressure or interference from the school towards the student or their doctors to either withhold gender transition or to hasten medical procedures (e.g. rushing surgeries that would enable the student to change their legal sex). Administrative concerns should never take precedence over a student’s life, health, education, and well-being.

3. As an act of care and respect, school leaders and staff should make efforts to respect the expressed gender of students who have trusted us enough to share their transgender identities. As an extension of that trust, a student's transgender identity should not be revealed to or discussed with their parents without the student's prior consent.

4. There should be no institutional or personal threats made to any student, their family, or their doctors.

5. Schools should proactively offer (though not mandate) supportive counselling and other mental health services to transgender students. These counsellors should not condemn or pressure students to change their gender identities.

6. There should be greater transparency and accountability if any school leaders, teachers or counsellors were to go against these guidelines.

We also note that MOE’s statement advised “students who experience unkind behaviour from peers to approach the teachers or school leaders as they are committed to keep students safe”.

We are unfortunately aware of transgender students who sought help only to be punished as 'discipline cases', outed to their parents without their consent, or referred to programmes aiming to change their sexual orientation or gender identity. This has kept many others from seeking help out of fear.

We call on MOE to take action on their words by working to equip schools to create a safe school environment for all students, including transgender students. This could, among other things, take the form of inclusive policies, training for all teachers and counsellors on gender dysphoria and LGBTQ+ issues, inclusive sexuality education and anti-bullying programmes, and having a statement of inclusion for schools and counsellors to abide by.

Many of us were afraid to write this statement or put our names to it because we recognise that it is still not safe for us as individuals and professionals to publicly express these views.

Nevertheless, we are making this statement because we believe that it is the right thing to do, and because it is our professional duty to protect and care for all the young people we teach, counsel and guide.

List of Signatories

Click here to see the List of Signatories
(683 individual & group signatories - Last updated 09 Feb 2021, 5:01pm)

• Individuals - Signatories include teachers, counsellors, social workers, school leaders, school nurses, MOE officers, psychologists and others.

• Groups - Education/ Social Sector/ Youth (9 signatories)

Sign the Statement!

If you are an education or social service professional (current or former) in/from Singapore, click here to sign this statement. You can sign with your name, initials, pseudonym or whatever you are comfortable with.

If your education/social service/youth organisation would like to sign this statement, please email us at friendlypeople.sg@gmail.com with an organisation email account, indicating your organisation name and preferred URL.

To hear directly from some of the signatories, click here. Quotes will be added as they come in. If any of the signatories would like to leave a quote about why you signed this statement, drop us a note at friendlypeople.sg@gmail.com.

We also encourage you to discuss this in your personal networks, and to write to the Ministry, media, or MPs to share your views.

Thank you!

Statement Links

• https://www.reddit.com/r/SGExams/comments/kwqqdu/rant_transgender_discrimination_in_singapore/

• https://www.facebook.com/moesingapore/posts/10160435896227004

• https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/moe-denies-blocking-transgender-student-from-receiving-hormone-therapy

• https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/moe-denies-stopping-transgender-student-getting-hormone-therapy-says-it-no-position

Further Reading

• 逾500教育工作者与社工声援跨性别学生吁政府制定与落实更清晰政策, Ng Wai Mun, Lianhe Zaobao, 1 February 2021 ("More than 500 educators and social workers rally transgender students’ call on the Government to formulate and implement clearer policies”) - Article & Translation

• "Teachers, social workers urge MOE to implement clear policy supporting transgender students", TODAY, 29 Jan 2021

• Statement of Solidarity with Transgender Students in Singapore, by LGBT groups and allies, 19 Jan 2020. You can also download the statement at https://bit.ly/3qycAqP

• "Transgender student’s experience not unique, others face difficulties in school due to gender identity issues", TODAY article by Leow Yangfa, Executive Director, Oogachaga, 18 Jan 2020

• “Scared to be LGBTQ in Singapore schools“, Reddit, 16 Jan 2020

• Statement by Pink Dot SG, 16 Jan 2020

• Sayoni’s 2019 report on violence and discrimination faced by LBTQ persons in Singapore

• A 2018 survey on LGBTQ+ Bullying in Schools by student-run @marymountgayte

• My Queer Story

• New Zealand’s Ministry of Education has a detailed resource site on "Supporting LGBTIQA+ students" to support the inclusion and wellbeing of students who identify as sex, gender, or sexuality diverse.

• Taiwan's Gender Equity Education Act states that “schools shall provide a gender-fair learning environment, respect and give due consideration to students, faculty, and staff with different gender, gender temperaments, gender identity, and sexual orientation. Moreover, it shall establish a safe campus environment." Some of Taiwan’s resources include “Teach Gender Equity without Fear” and “LGBTQ Education Q&A: Handbook for Teachers”.