All-boys school welcomes ‘brave’ trans student with open arms: ‘We support her fully’
Children in a classroom. (Klaus Vedfelt/Getty Images)
An all-boys school in Adelaide, Australia has given its full-hearted support to a student who came out as trans, and is even designing a special uniform for her.
Headmaster of the private Prince Alfred College, Bradley Fenner, said in a letter to parents on Tuesday that the girl’s fellow students were “respectful and supportive”, The Advertiser reported.
The headmaster added that the student, named Alice, asked to remain at the all-boys’ school herself, and has received support from both students and professionals.
Fenner wrote: “This morning, a student who has been at Prince Alfred College since the Early Learning Centre has told her peers that she is transgender, identifies as a woman and henceforth will be known as Alice.
“The response from the Year 12 cohort was, as we would have hoped and expected, both respectful and supportive.
“Alice has been dealing with gender dysphoria for some time and has been well-supported in her journey by a range of professionals, both within and outside the College.”
The headteacher added that Alice has come out to her peers, which he described as “very powerful”
“She is a living embodiment of our college motto… which is: do brave deeds and endure, and that’s exactly what she’s done,” he told ABC Adelaide.
All-boys’ school designs special uniform after student comes out as trans (Prince Alfred College)
Parents told The Australian that her fellow students have been “so welcoming”, but that the school would have to figure out a few accessibility requirements, as Alice is Prince Alfred College’s first trans student.
One parent said: “I think it is great that the boys have been so welcoming and accepting, and apparently the process by which she explained her new life was very moving and they are all supporting her.
“It does raise a few logistic questions, though, around things like the use of the toilets and so on in what has only ever been a boys’ school.”
The school is reportedly now in discussions with Alice to organise a special uniform for her.
A recent study has found that the majority of teachers in the UK have a trans pupil in their class, with many saying they would like more help with how to support them.
Research by LGBT+ young people’s charity Just Like Us found that 55 per cent of teachers in England have at least one pupil who has come out as transgender, and 78 per cent say they would like more resources supporting them.
“Trans young people across the country are in schools with teachers who are crying out for the right resources to support them,” said Dominic Arnall, chief executive of Just Like Us.
“With a small but vocal minority of anti-trans individuals, it’s often a tough and terrifying time for young people growing up trans.
“It’s very encouraging to see that the majority of their teachers want to support their pupils to be themselves and feel safe while learning.”
