Saitama prefecture always produces the most interesting news. A local education board has allowed an 8-year-old elementary school boy who suffers gender identity disorder to attend his school as a girl instead.

The decision was made to make school life comfortable for the second grader who has had a desire to ‘‘become a girl’’ since kindergarten and begun to feel distress after entering the elementary school at having to stand to use the restroom, officials of the board said.

The school continues to keep him designated as a boy on its register.

The boy in Saitama was diagnosed in March last year as having gender identity disorder, a term used to describe people facing a gap between their biological and mental sex identities, and his doctor recommended treating him as a girl so that he can adjust to school life.

After the diagnosis, the school told its students about the boy and the circumstances arising from his problems in September last year when they returned from summer break. His mother also explained the situation to the parents of his classmates and obtained their understanding, the sources said.

Source: JapanToday

I wonder what will happen when the kid turns a little older and start attending middle and high school?