This paper explores the legal and moral responsibility of schools in creating inclusive
learning environments that recognize, respect and support transgender students. The
responsibility for creating an inclusive environment is the responsibility of the educational
system, rather than the responsibility of individual transgender students seeking accommodation
within that system. Research shows that transgender students experience a disproportionate level
of harm within the school context resulting from being denied their gender identity and
expression, including inaccessible bathroom and changeroom access, and failure to be addressed
with affirming names and pronouns. These harms have negative health and mental health
outcomes for transgender students, but they can be mitigated through environmental changes,
including inclusive policies and best practice documents. GLSEN’s research (2021) showed that
only 12.5% of schools had official policies or guidelines to specifically support transgender
students. A comparative analysis of school policies and best practice documents across the
province of Alberta shows 31% of districts in Alberta have specific policies to support
transgender students, including 43% of public school districts in Alberta and 0.06% of separate
school districts in Alberta, revealing inconsistencies in approaches to transgender students'
rights. The paper concludes by offering recommendations for future policy development,
emphasizing the need for unified and forward-thinking strategies to ensure the well-being and
dignity of all students within Alberta schools.
