The differences that the withdrawal WILL NOT MAKE!!!
Below is a copy of an article which appeared today (8/9/25) in the ‘Belfast Newsletter’.
The change has come about as a result of the very adverse publicity surrounding the chairman of the Education Authority, which up to now had administered guidance on ‘Transgenderism’ to school pupils and teachers.
The publicity I refer to is that aroused by the rather robust confrontation of Mr Mervyn Storey, DUP member and elder in Ballymoney Free Presbyterian Church, by two members of the Burke family, Mrs Burke and a son, Josiah, outside Ballymoney Free Presbyterian Church. That confrontation was followed by articles in the ‘Burning Bush’, in which there was a repeating of our ‘oft-repeated’ opposition to the two-facedness of Mr Storey. He has a history of putting ‘policy’ before Christ in his public life.
(See — ‘One Final Word . . . . .’)
This response by DUP Education Minister, Paul Givan, is part of the cover-up of the ongoing sell-out by the DUP to trends within society which are increasingly overthrowing the Holy Law of God.
The outcome of Givan’s belated decision will be nil in one instance and very detrimental in another.
It may well appear to get Storey off his self-impalement, but only his public repentance and repudiation of his past behaviour and resignation from the DUP, will do that!
1. It will not make any difference with the schools where teachers’ guidelines on ‘Transgenderism’ have been part of the curriculum and is embodied in the mind-set of teaching staff who are in agreement with such immoral thinking.
The rationalising of the ungodly perversions which took place until now will continue. There is no law to prevent teachers continuing to present the corruptions set forth in the guidelines now withdrawn from the Education Authority website. They remain in their minds and are still part of the ungodly agenda many school teachers live and teach by.
The statement issued by the Education Authority following Givan’s decision shows this to be so.
‘Support and advice remain available to schools on this matter from EA support services in accordance with DE policy.’
There were very few teachers who publicly voiced their opposition to the guidelines while they were in force and we must conclude from that there are many teachers who agree with this wickedness and therefore the ‘guidelines’ will still be pursued in state schools!
2. Sadly, it will make a difference in the homes of Christians who had continued to send their children to schools which submitted to and set forth these guidelines.
The removal from the website of the the Education Authority will provide succour to those disobedient and foolhardy parents who, for one reason or another, rejected the repeated warnings of the infiltration of the state school classrooms by the corruptions of man’s depraved thinking that has been taking place now for nigh on half a century!
Their ‘consciences’ will be fallaciously eased of any troubling thoughts they may have had and they will dismiss even more strongly the warnings about that taught in the state school sector.
Thus the witness and stand of the Free Presbyterian Church in particular will be further undermined and weakened by a renewed embracing of a rejection of God’s Word which tells Christian parents to:—
“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it,” Proverbs 22:6.
Such training most certainly does not include placing them under the tutorage of those who believe in evolution, sodomy, abortion and the perversions associated with transgenderism!
Under such tutorship, children will not be subject to that which the Lord commands parents to instruct their children in.
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up,” Deuteronomy 6:4-7.
Rev Ivan Foster (Rtd)
8th September 2025
DUP minister introduces new sex-based schools policy – as controversial transgender guidance withdrawn by Education Authority
‘Belfast Newsletter – 8th September 2025.
Schools will now be advised on transgender issues in line with a new policy which rejects gender ideology, as education officials announce they will follow new guidance based on biological sex.
The move comes after Stormont’s education minister has asked officials to scrap controversial transgender guidance for schools, in light of the Supreme Court ruling on the legal definition of sex.
Education Minister Paul Givan has introduced a new policy for schools in light of a landmark court ruling on biological sex.
After Paul Givan made his announcement in Monday’s News Letter, the Education Authority has now withdrawn the 2019 guidance in question from its website, and says schools will receive advice and support “in accordance with” Department of Education (DE) policy.
The DUP minister has issued a policy document advising schools on issues such as single-sex sports, changing rooms and toilets facilities.
It defines ‘boys’ and ‘girls’ as biological males and biological females respectively – and advises that neither pupils nor teachers should be compelled to use pronouns other than those which reflect biological sex.
The Education Authority’s transgender guidance was introduced during a period when Stormont ministers were not in place, after lobbying from transgender groups.
In his article for the News Letter, Mr Givan said that his department has tried to “ensure fairness, safety and respect for all children in schools” by affirming that “references to ‘boys’ and ‘girls’ are to be understood as biological males and females”.
“Pupils should use changing rooms and toilet facilities designated for their biological sex and that boys and girls should not share these spaces when in use. In competitive sports, mixed-sex participation is only permitted where governing bodies [explicitly allow it]”, Mr Givan said.
The EA 2019 guidance had said that “staff should give a transgender pupil access to toilets which match their gender identity”.
Mr Givan describes as “unfortunate” the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland bid to seek High Court clarity on how the Supreme Court ruling interacts with the Windsor Framework’s Article 2. He adds, pointedly: “I am not willing to delegate this crucial issue of decision making to an organisation which has been far from neutral on many sensitive issues”.
In a statement, the Department of Education said that its policy covers “pupils attending all grant-aided schools” in Northern Ireland following the UK Supreme Court Ruling on 16 April 2025 on the ‘For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers’.
The policy paper says that the Education Authority’s Guidance for Schools, EOTAS Centres and Youth Service on Supporting Transgender Young People’ “is withdrawn with immediate effect”. In its place, the department has issued four principles for schools to follow:
- Definition. Where this policy statement refers to ‘boys’ and ‘girls’ it refers to biological males and biological females respectively.
- Use of changing rooms and toilet facilities. Boys should not use changing rooms when such changing rooms are being used by girls; girls should not use changing rooms when such changing rooms are being used by boys. Boys and girls should use separate toilet facilities where these are provided. Boys should not use toilet facilities that are dedicated to the use of girls; girls should not use toilet facilities that are dedicated to the use of boys.
- Competitive Sport. Except where the Governing Bodies of a sport have made provision for competitive participation between boys and girls, boys should not participate in competitive sport against girls; girls should not participate in competitive sport against boys.
- Use of Pronouns. Neither pupils nor teachers should be compelled to use pronouns other than those which reflect biological sex.
An Education Authority (EA) spokesperson told the News Letter: “The EA document on Guidance for Schools, EOTAS Centres, and Youth Service on supporting Transgender Young People document has been withdrawn. Support and advice remain available to schools on this matter from EA support services in accordance with DE policy”.