Education Minister Paul Givan has ordered the immediate withdrawal of the Education Authority's (EA) 2019 transgender guidance, stating that it is inconsistent with the law in Northern Ireland.

The decision follows the UK Supreme Court ruling in April that "sex" in law refers to biological sex. The Minister said this ruling has "direct implications" for education policy in the country.

The original non-statutory guidance had advised that transgender pupils could use facilities such as toilets and changing rooms that align with their gender identity. "I do not believe a boy who identifies as a girl should participate in girls' sports or use girls' changing rooms and toilet facilities," Minister Givan said. He added that pupils and teachers should not be "compelled to use pronouns that do not reflect biological sex."

While acknowledging the sensitivity of the issue, Minister Givan said that policy must be "grounded in legal clarity and prioritise the best interests of children," rather than being "driven by ideology."

The Department of Education has now published a new policy statement for all grant-aided schools, which refers to "boys" and "girls" as biological males and females, respectively.

The Minister concluded that while the Department has a responsibility to set clear principles, many of the issues are best managed at the school level.