Primary school children should be educated about what it means to be transgender, Children’s Minister Roderic O’Gorman has said. This means teaching children that a person’s biological sex and ‘gender’ might be completely different.

The Green Party minister told the Irish Independent that primary school children should have an “understanding” of ‘diversity’.

Asked if school children should be taught more about what it means to be transgender, the minister said “absolutely”, adding it was important to refine the school curriculum to ensure pupils “are getting an understanding of diversity”.

When asked if this applied not only to secondary schools pupils but also to those at primary level, he said: “I think it’s important that primary school children as well have an understanding of the diversity of our society.”

His department, with the Department of Social Protection, is working on policies on whether children under the age of 16 should be able to declare their gender identity.