Saskatchewan害羞草研究所檚 two largest school divisions say they害羞草研究所檝e addressed concerns from teachers and are enforcing the province害羞草研究所檚 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.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檝e had to do it before the (legislation) and after,害羞草研究所� Coleman said.

害羞草研究所淐ompliance looks like we害羞草研究所檙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.害羞草研究所�

Coleman declined to say how teachers are disciplined if they don害羞草研究所檛 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.

害羞草研究所淚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,害羞草研究所� the statement said.

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

害羞草研究所淪tudents not ready to share this information with their family generally decided to wait until they were ready to do so.害羞草研究所�

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

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

害羞草研究所淚t wasn害羞草研究所檛 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,害羞草研究所� Schmidt said.

害羞草研究所淏ut from what I had heard, it wasn害羞草研究所檛 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.害羞草研究所�

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害羞草研究所檛 know what they were going to do until faced with the situation.

害羞草研究所淭here was a lot of fear related to job security and also a lot of fear related to not being someone who害羞草研究所檚 caring for the kids,害羞草研究所� she said.

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

害羞草研究所淢y job is to respect the human rights of the child, and that is every person害羞草研究所檚 job,害羞草研究所� she said.

害羞草研究所淲hen I think about that, I害羞草研究所檓 doing my job 害羞草研究所� even if Scott Moe says I害羞草研究所檓 not 害羞草研究所� by respecting the child害羞草研究所檚 wishes, the child害羞草研究所檚 comfort and the child害羞草研究所檚 needs.害羞草研究所�

New Brunswick害羞草研究所檚 Progressive Conservative government has also enforced a pronoun rule that requires parents害羞草研究所� 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害羞草研究所檚 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害羞草研究所檛 clear what the province will implement and when those changes could arrive.