Exam results: Separate category for non-binary pupils under consideration

A proposal is under consideration to break down GCSE and A-level results into three categories - boys girls and non-binary students.

Such a move means adding an extra category when schools are asked to record a candidate’s sex, The Telegraph reported.

The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), which represents the eight largest qualification providers in the UK, said it was looking at “collecting data” to include non-binary pupils.

The proposal to add a separate category for non-binary students follows a consultation examination chiefs had with Stonewall, a charity dedicated to the causes of the LGBT community.

The proposal has evoked a mixed reaction from campaign groups.

Beaumont Society, which supports transgender and non-binary people, described it as a “good idea”.

Its president Jane Hamlin said, “it’s going to show that transgender and non-binary people are recognised as real people.”

But Maya Forstater, the executive director of the non-profit organisation Sex Matters, warned that the move could result in “loss of data”.

"You are losing data, and the potential to see whether girls are doing better than boys or vice versa,” Forstater said.

“If the information on the sex of some students is not being collected because they declare themselves non-binary, it undermines the statistics," she told The Telegraph.

"Throwing away the data even for just a small group means the overall data is not robust,” Forstater said.

Any measure to address gender inequality should be based on clear data, she said.

A JCQ spokesperson said its “tables currently include breakdowns by male and female gender types” as the organisation or its members do not collect the data required to include the provision of non-binary candidates.

"However… we are pleased to share that we will be looking at this in the future”, the spokesperson said.

“We commit to consulting with key stakeholders to demonstrate our continued support for the non-binary community.”