Israel's Education Ministry Mandates Parental Consent for Gender Identity Support
Translated & summarized from Makor Rishon by baba
Israel's Ministry of Education now requires parental consent for gender identity support programs for students, reversing a 2022 policy that allowed discreet counseling without parental notification. The new directive, effective August 2026, mandates parental involvement in all individual or group emotional support related to gender identity. The change was lauded by the "Choosing Family" organization, which advocates for parental rights in such matters.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Israel's Education Ministry now requires parental consent for gender identity support for students.
- The new directive reverses a 2022 policy that allowed discreet counseling without parental notification.
- The policy change is effective starting August 2026.
- The directive mandates parental consent for individual or group emotional support concerning gender identity.
- The "Choosing Family" organization praised the ministry for returning responsibility to parents.
Israel's Ministry of Education has issued a new directive requiring parental consent for any "emotional support" or "personal program" related to gender identity for students. This policy, effective August 2026, reverses a previous guideline from September 2022, which allowed school counselors to provide discreet support to students experiencing gender dysphoria without parental knowledge.
The new directive, outlined in section 4.4 of the director-general's circular, emphasizes bringing parents back to the center of these sensitive discussions. It mandates that educational and counseling staff must obtain parental consent before engaging in individual or group emotional support for students concerning gender identity issues. This move aims to correct a perceived disconnect that the previous system allowed between parents and children.
The 2022 guidelines, issued during the tenure of former Education Minister Yifat Shasha-Biton, had empowered school psychological services to create a "safe space" for LGBTQ+ youth. These guidelines permitted school staff to make significant identity-related decisions for students, sometimes without parental involvement, citing research on increased risks for transgender youth lacking supportive environments.
Michael Poa, chairman of the "Choosing Family" organization, praised the new directive, sending a letter to current Education Minister Yoav Kisch to commend the "return of responsibility to parents." Poa also reiterated his organization's demand to change the existing guideline that presents affirmative care as the sole treatment for gender dysphoria, calling it "dangerous and destructive" with no scientific basis.