Letting children identify as animals is wrong

Some Scottish schools are officially recognising species dysphoria and allowing students to identify as ‘furries’. Lizzie Harewood, CEO of the Association of Christian Teachers, says a compassionate ‘no’  to this contested ideology is the right response 

The issue of children identifying as animals feels a bit like a game of Chinese whispers. Many people purport to have heard about cases - whether it’s a child requesting a litter tray in the school toilets or a student wearing a tail in class - but it’s unclear how many people actually know such an individual themselves.  

Yet, my cynicism about such reporting might be misplaced. Recently, a Scottish council confirmed that at least two students, including one in primary school, have been officially recognised as having “species dysphoria” - a condition many psychologists say lacks scientific basis. This follows another case where a secondary school student was permitted to identify as a wolf, supported by the Scottish Government’s school’s guidance.