A Cornwall councillor has asked if teachers in the Duchy are supporting children to socially transition their gender without telling their parents.

Cllr Dulcie Tudor also asked at a full council meeting this week if the council’s safeguarding guidance is “facilitating a pathway for vulnerable children from the classroom to the clinic”.

The councillor for Threemilestone and Chacewater, who is not aligned to any political group, made the comments following the publication of the Cass Report last week.

Dr Hilary Cass was commissioned in 2020 to examine the state of NHS services for children identifying as trans. Her final report, published last week, found that children and young people have been let down by a lack of research and evidence on medical interventions in a debate which has become increasingly toxic.

Dr Cass said her report was not about defining “what it means to be trans” or “undermining the validity of trans identities” but about “how best to help the growing number of children and young people who are looking for support from the NHS in relation to their gender identity”.

Directing her comments to Cllr Barbara Ellenbroek, the Conservative cabinet’s portfolio holder for children and families, Cllr Tudor said: “The Cass Report warned of grave psychological consequences for children allowed to socially transition as this was likely to lead them onto a path of taking puberty blockers, hormone treatments and, in some cases, surgery.

“Earlier this month, news outlets reported the results of research which found relatively high numbers of children in Devon and Cornwall had been referred to the NHS gender identity development services compared to other parts of the country. I believe the two findings are not mutually exclusive.”

She added: “Schools and colleges are expected to follow government guidance which is clear that in all but exceptional cases, schools should not support the social transition of children, including not using pronouns that do not align with the child’s sex.

“In light of the fact schools in Cornwall are teaching gender ideology as fact when the government has made clear that gender identity should be taught as opinion, does the portfolio holder for families know if teachers in Cornish schools are supporting children to socially transition (without disclosing to parents)?

“And is she sure Cornwall Council safeguarding guidance is not facilitating a pathway for vulnerable children from the classroom to the clinic?”

Cllr Ellenbroek responded that the Cass Review gives guidance for the NHS rather than gender identity services or schools. She said a Department for Education (DfE) consultation on gender was currently taking place and Cornwall Council expected to have additional guidance for schools fairly soon.

“This is a very difficult piece of work and I know that an awful lot of people are concerned about it, and I’ve had emails from other people as well,” said Cllr Ellebroek.

“I cannot give you a definitive answer at the moment because I don’t have one, but I want to assure everybody that as soon as we understand what the guidance is saying then that information will be shared with all of you because it is really important.”

She added that many secondary schools are academies, and while the council has “extremely good relationships” with them, it interacts with them differently to local authority schools.

She believed the issue deserved “proper and informed debate” before the council’s children’s overview and scrutiny committee.