Saskatchewan香蕉视频直播檚 two largest school divisions say they香蕉视频直播檝e addressed concerns from teachers and are enforcing the province香蕉视频直播檚 pronoun law as children head back to classrooms next week.

Jason Coleman, superintendent of student achievement at Regina Public Schools, says students under 16 who want to change their names or pronouns in school are required to have parental consent. Those older can do so without.

Some parents have said no, said Coleman. When that happens, the division works with students on getting them to a place where they can communicate with their families.

香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檝e had to do it before the (legislation) and after,香蕉视频直播� Coleman said.

香蕉视频直播淐ompliance looks like we香蕉视频直播檙e being respectful of our students and being respectful of our parents within the legislation that exists. Even before the legislation, we strove, we worked towards and we tried to include parents in all things that we did.香蕉视频直播�

Coleman declined to say how teachers are disciplined if they don香蕉视频直播檛 follow the law.

A spokesperson for Saskatoon Public Schools said in an email that all employees are expected to follow the legislation and its enforcement is no different than with other policies.

香蕉视频直播淚t has always been our process to encourage students of any age to involve their parents or guardians in discussions about name changes and pronoun changes,香蕉视频直播� the statement said.

It said the division has let students know it can香蕉视频直播檛 always guarantee privacy if different names are used by teachers and peers.

香蕉视频直播淪tudents not ready to share this information with their family generally decided to wait until they were ready to do so.香蕉视频直播�

Premier Scott Moe香蕉视频直播檚 Saskatchewan Party government said it introduced the requirement as a rule in August 2023 to make sure parents are included in their children香蕉视频直播檚 lives.

A court challenge later caused Moe to recall the legislature to make the rule a law. The legislation invoked the notwithstanding clause, a measure that allows governments to override certain Charter rights for up to five years.

A judge ruled the challenge could continue. The province then sought an appeal, which is to be heard in September.

Moe hasn香蕉视频直播檛 offered details on how teachers would be punished if they don香蕉视频直播檛 abide by the law. He has left it up to school divisions to make sure it香蕉视频直播檚 followed.

In November, dozens of teachers signed an online petition saying they won香蕉视频直播檛 follow the law, arguing it harms gender-diverse students by forcing them to come out or by having teachers misgender them.

Regina teacher Alex Schmidt, who was among the signatories, said educators were confronted with different kinds of fears.

Some worried they wouldn香蕉视频直播檛 be properly caring for students if they didn香蕉视频直播檛 use preferred names or pronouns. Other teachers were concerned about getting fired if they didn香蕉视频直播檛 follow the law.

There were more questions: Would the law be used to create conflict between teachers and parents? Would students ask for pronoun or name changes as a way to act out and play a prank?

香蕉视频直播淚t wasn香蕉视频直播檛 necessarily going on in my spaces, but it was scary for teachers, going one way or the other, whether it was important to the student, or whether it would turn into a joke,香蕉视频直播� Schmidt said.

香蕉视频直播淏ut from what I had heard, it wasn香蕉视频直播檛 happening a ton. And the students it was happening with, it was very real and it was a process that, in some cases, scared the teacher to have to be in that position.香蕉视频直播�

Schmidt, who went on maternity leave in March and plans to return later this school year, said it was her understanding Regina Public Schools would handle non-compliance on a case-by-case basis.

Teachers were either going to follow the rule or not, she said. Others didn香蕉视频直播檛 know what they were going to do until faced with the situation.

香蕉视频直播淭here was a lot of fear related to job security and also a lot of fear related to not being someone who香蕉视频直播檚 caring for the kids,香蕉视频直播� she said.

Schmidt said she hasn香蕉视频直播檛 had a student ask for a name or pronoun change. However, she香蕉视频直播檚 still prepared to call a child by their chosen name or pronoun without parental consent should that happen.

香蕉视频直播淢y job is to respect the human rights of the child, and that is every person香蕉视频直播檚 job,香蕉视频直播� she said.

香蕉视频直播淲hen I think about that, I香蕉视频直播檓 doing my job 香蕉视频直播� even if Scott Moe says I香蕉视频直播檓 not 香蕉视频直播� by respecting the child香蕉视频直播檚 wishes, the child香蕉视频直播檚 comfort and the child香蕉视频直播檚 needs.香蕉视频直播�

New Brunswick香蕉视频直播檚 Progressive Conservative government has also enforced a pronoun rule that requires parents香蕉视频直播� consent for pronoun or name changes for students under 16.

In Alberta, United Conservative Premier Danielle Smith said she plans to introduce legislation this fall that would require parental consent for students under 16 looking to change their names or pronouns.

Smith said she香蕉视频直播檚 also prepared to use legislation to restrict transgender youth from accessing gender-affirming health care, banning transgender participation in female sports and requiring parental consent or notification for sex education.

School divisions in Edmonton and Calgary said they aren香蕉视频直播檛 clear what the province will implement and when those changes could arrive.