Education leaders have warned that co-educational boarding school heads have been left in the dark over how to approach pupils questioning their gender ahead of the guidance being drawn up by the government. Headteachers are understood to have been given conflicting legal advice on how to respond to an increase in the number of pupils seeking to socially transition and, in some cases, move to a boarding house of the opposite sex. Barnaby Lenon, chairman of the Independent Schools Council (ISC), said: “Because schools have been receiving contradictory advice from lawyers, we welcome the prospect of clear advice from the government." By Louisa Clarence-Smith, The Telegraph.

The National Education Union (NEU) pledged last month to ask districts to make local plans for Year 11 and 13 students so they could continue to go to school during the strikes planned for 27 April and 2 May, which are roughly two weeks before exams begin. The union has now published its guidance for these arrangements, saying members given an exemption to support exam year pupils during industrial action should be paid for a full day even if they only work for part of one. By Freddie Whittaker, Schools Week.

An article in iNews takes a closer look at the pay dispute. By Alex Finnis.

The executives of WhatsApp and its competitor Signal have renewed their criticism of proposed laws that would see them forced to identify child sexual abuse in encrypted messages. In an open letter, signed by the chiefs of both companies, they warn that the plans, contained in the Online Safety Bill, will open the door to “indiscriminate surveillance”. By Mark Sellman, The Times.

According to a study by the Henry Jackson Society think tank, Muslim pupils are telling their Hindu classmates to change their religion to avoid bullying and make their lives easier. The findings suggest Hindu pupils are being “held responsible” for India's actions and facing xenophobic slurs from white pupils. By Neil Johnston, The Telegraph.

Writing in Tes, maths experts Sue Johnston-Wilder and Telma Para explore the issue of anxiety around the subject in light of the prime minister's review.

The University and College Union (UCU) has said it would go ahead with strike action over pay that could result in exams and essays being left unmarked, prompting concerns that university students could face delays to their degree results and graduations this summer. By Richard Adams, The Guardian.

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