Daily roundup 20 October: FGM, transgender children, and sexist 'banter'

A duty requiring teachers, doctors and nurses to report cases of female genital mutilation (FGM) will come into force next Saturday (31 October). The Guardian reports those who do not comply could face internal disciplinary action or referral to regulators, which have the power to bar them from practice.


Five times as many children from the North West England have been referred to an NHS service for transgender young people this year than in 2010. The Wigan Daily reports that there were 78 referrals of children under the age of 18 for gender dysphoria in 2014/15 compared with 16 in 2010. 


Schools are being urged to tackle "banter" in classrooms. The BBC reports that a guide by the Institute of Physics states that schools don't take sexist "banter" as seriously as racist or homophobic language, which can lead to gender stereotyping and fewer girls studying science subjects than boys.


Childcare.co.uk has been announced as the winner of a Department for Education competition to find a website or app that can collate information parents need to know about childcare. The website has been awarded £96,000 from government so it can be developed further.


Oxfordshire County Council has launched a consultation on plans to close a number of children's centres. The Oxfordshire Guardian reports that the county's 44 centres and seven early intervention hubs could be replaced with eight children and family centres.