Saskatchewan含羞草研究社檚 two largest school divisions say they含羞草研究社檝e addressed concerns from teachers and are enforcing the province含羞草研究社檚 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.

含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檝e had to do it before the (legislation) and after,含羞草研究社� Coleman said.

含羞草研究社淐ompliance looks like we含羞草研究社檙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.含羞草研究社�

Coleman declined to say how teachers are disciplined if they don含羞草研究社檛 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.

含羞草研究社淚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,含羞草研究社� the statement said.

It said the division has let students know it can含羞草研究社檛 always guarantee privacy if different names are used by teachers and peers.

含羞草研究社淪tudents not ready to share this information with their family generally decided to wait until they were ready to do so.含羞草研究社�

Premier Scott Moe含羞草研究社檚 Saskatchewan Party government said it introduced the requirement as a rule in August 2023 to make sure parents are included in their children含羞草研究社檚 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含羞草研究社檛 offered details on how teachers would be punished if they don含羞草研究社檛 abide by the law. He has left it up to school divisions to make sure it含羞草研究社檚 followed.

In November, dozens of teachers signed an online petition saying they won含羞草研究社檛 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含羞草研究社檛 be properly caring for students if they didn含羞草研究社檛 use preferred names or pronouns. Other teachers were concerned about getting fired if they didn含羞草研究社檛 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?

含羞草研究社淚t wasn含羞草研究社檛 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,含羞草研究社� Schmidt said.

含羞草研究社淏ut from what I had heard, it wasn含羞草研究社檛 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.含羞草研究社�

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含羞草研究社檛 know what they were going to do until faced with the situation.

含羞草研究社淭here was a lot of fear related to job security and also a lot of fear related to not being someone who含羞草研究社檚 caring for the kids,含羞草研究社� she said.

Schmidt said she hasn含羞草研究社檛 had a student ask for a name or pronoun change. However, she含羞草研究社檚 still prepared to call a child by their chosen name or pronoun without parental consent should that happen.

含羞草研究社淢y job is to respect the human rights of the child, and that is every person含羞草研究社檚 job,含羞草研究社� she said.

含羞草研究社淲hen I think about that, I含羞草研究社檓 doing my job 含羞草研究社� even if Scott Moe says I含羞草研究社檓 not 含羞草研究社� by respecting the child含羞草研究社檚 wishes, the child含羞草研究社檚 comfort and the child含羞草研究社檚 needs.含羞草研究社�

New Brunswick含羞草研究社檚 Progressive Conservative government has also enforced a pronoun rule that requires parents含羞草研究社� 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含羞草研究社檚 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含羞草研究社檛 clear what the province will implement and when those changes could arrive.