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The move, implemented by one of the UK’s leading exam boards, Edexcel, will allow teenagers who identify as “non-binary” to request that male and female flags are removed from Edexcel’s system.

Edexcel, which is owned by education company Pearson, has done away entirely with gender categories from the documents students receive on results day.

A spokesperson for Pearson said: “We are continuing to look at how non-binary students can have the option of signalling that they do not wish to be classed as either male or female when they register for a qualification and receive results with Pearson Edexcel.

“For this summer we have removed the gender flag altogether from the documents students receive from us, and we are giving them the option of removing the male/female flag on our qualifications systems by requesting this through their school or college.”