A number of teachers in Scotland have been told to use gender-neutral titles when addressing students.

Children aged four or five are encouraged to use pronouns such as ‘they’ and ‘them’ when talking to class staff.

The titles used include nicknames for people who identify as non-binary or neither male nor female, regardless of their gender.

Figures from councils show at least 86 teachers, teaching assistants and classroom assistants were registered using Mx titles rather than Miss, Miss, Miss or Mr.

While 13 of them work in primary schools, at least 73 of them work in secondary schools.

Roz McCall, Scottish Conservative children and young people spokesperson

Edinburgh City Council alone has 44 people, giving the council its highest number of gender-neutral staff on record.

Overall numbers may be even higher as some councils do not keep records.

Critics say teachers should not bring ‘controversial ideology’ into classrooms, while one parent said she believes her child’s teacher is more interested in being an ‘activist’.

Roz McCall, the Scottish Conservative Party’s spokesperson for children and young people, said: ‘Such fringe issues stand in the way of ensuring our children get the best possible start in life and not feel uncomfortable.’

Marion Calder, of campaign group Scotland for Women, said: ‘Teachers should not be bringing controversial ideology into classrooms that has no basis other than astrology.’

Scotland for Women campaigner Marion Calder

One mother said she only learned the teacher was using Mx after signed certificates of achievement were sent home.

He said the school ignored his concerns.

‘My first response to the manager who asked why I had a problem with ‘Mx’ was that we are telling young children the wrong thing, that you can choose your gender, and that we are imposing a very dangerous ideology on very young children. “No arguments with parents,” he said.

‘Also, when I asked what (pronoun) the teacher made the children say (them), he said, ‘I don’t know, I didn’t ask.’ These are activist teachers and this shouldn’t be happening.’

Another campaign group, Parent Watch Scotland, noted: ‘Titles like Mx’ confuse primary school children, with no one knowing how to pronounce the title and many teachers using it as a conversation starter to promote their non-binary status or ‘gender identity’. ‘

Ms Calder added: ‘How are children going to believe anything a teacher says if they are lying about something so basic? ‘So what happens if a child or their parent backs out? Will the child be disciplined by adhering to science and truth?’

Gender ideology in schools has led to teaching that there are at least 17 genders and encouraging affirmation of children’s gender identity without parental consent.

The prescribing of puberty blockers has been halted in Scotland after a landmark Cass review of gender services in England found young people were being let down by a lack of medical research.