Teachers are set to be banned from telling children they could be identifying as the wrong gender.

Education secretary Gillian Keegan has said that "children must be allowed to be children."

Under the new proposals, children under the age of nine will not receive sex education classes.

Older pupils will be taught about legally protected characteristics such as sexual orientation and gender reassignment but will not be taught about gender identity.

Writing in the Sun, the MP for Chichester said: "Teachers are there to teach children facts...Never again will young girls be led to believe they might be happier if they were a boy or children to think there are 72 genders.

"Sex education will not be taught before year five, and at that point from a purely scientific standpoint."

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak added: "Parents rightly trust that when they send their children to school, they are kept safe and will not be exposed to disturbing content that is inappropriate for their age.

"That’s why I was horrified to hear reports of this happening in our classrooms last year."

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A Labour spokesman said: "Sex education in schools should be age-appropriate."

The Education Secretary added that she is calling on teachers to target "dangerous" influencers such as Andrew Tate.

She added: "The guidance will help teachers set children up to better navigate the huge complexities of social media and foster positive relationships between boys and girls.

"This will help counteract issues such as harmful misogyny and gender stereotypes with more advice how to protect children from dangerous online influencers like Andrew Tate."

NEU education union general secretary Daniel Kebede said: "This is yet more culture war noise from an ill-informed and out of touch government. Schools need clear and constructive support".

Head teacher at a school in Rotherham and general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders Pepe Di'Iasio told the BBC that he believes pupils are being used "as a political football."