Vulnerable and autistic pupils are being ‘groomed’ into believing they are transgender, a whistleblower education veteran has said, revealing that 17 children at just one school are currently in the process of ‘transitioning’.

A whistleblower teacher with almost 20 years experience who spoke out on the condition of anonymity told British newspaper the Mail on Sunday that children who identify as transgender are ‘idolised’ at school, and a politically correct climate renders staff too afraid to challenge pupils’ sex change claims.

Under the pseudonym ‘Carol’, she told the newspaper that the vast majority of children ‘transitioning’ at her school are socially awkward girls, many with other mental health issues, who believe lesbians are uncool and who see their popularity soar when they start ‘identifying’ as boys or as ‘non-binary’.

“They have girls flocking around them like handmaidens because they look like pretty little boys,” she said.

“They mirror teenage fantasies, resembling popstars like Justin Bieber. These trans kids actually become quite powerful in the school,” added Carol, explaining that one of the ways in which pupils would exercise their newfound power is by policing the language of teachers and fellow students, claiming offence at the supposed misuse of pronouns or at insufficiently ‘inclusive’ phrasing.

‘I was discussing the topic of menstruation during a class recently and was called out by one of the pupils who now identifies as a boy for failing to say that boys can have periods too,” she said.

Christian Teacher Suspended for ‘Misgendering’ Pupil https://t.co/yAv4gYPHkF — Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) November 12, 2017

“Of course they can’t and it sounds like a joke but a lot of teachers are terrified of making a slip-up,” the mother-of-one said, admitting that the fear of being dismissed from her job means she would “not dare” question whether a student could be mistaken over a newly-adopted gender identity.

While noting that transgender YouTube celebrities appeared to have played a role in the wave of ‘copycat’ transitioners — who often adopt the names of female-to-male internet personalities — Carol said a major concern is the influence of older pupils.

Recounting how she had spoken to distressed children presenting as trans, who had told her, “I was feeling very lost, but [an older transgender student] found me crying in the corridor and helped me understand who I truly am,” the whistleblower likened the process to grooming.

Half of the 17 ‘trans pupils’ Carol has known had been diagnosed with autism while the rest “had definite signs of the condition”, according to the Mail, which noted that one third of children referred to the Tavistock Clinic — Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) service for children presenting with “gender identity” issues — have strong autistic traits, well above the national average.

The whistleblower said: “If a child genuinely has gender dysphoria then of course they should get all the love and support they need.

“But I believe that autistic children who are not transgender are being exploited by the transgender lobby. They are being brainwashed into believing they are transgender.

“I’m now so alarmed by the force of the transgender agenda that I’m not sure how much longer I can go on for, as I can no longer be honest with the students.

Proactive Transgender agenda established in British schools by government https://t.co/um01J2URgi — Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) December 14, 2017

“We are being dictated to by groups who don’t know these kids, to make decisions that are harmful to them.”

The number of girls referred for gender reassignment has risen by nearly 4,500 per cent in less than a decade, from 40 in 2009-2010 to 1,806 in 2017-2018, according to a report in The Times.

Commenting on the story, London Assembly Member David Kurten described the situation as “madness”, pointing out that his party, UKIP, would “ensure that children are taught there are two sexes — male & female — determined by anatomy and chromosomes”.

In September, Women and Equalities Minister Penny Mordaunt ordered an inquiry into the reasons behind an almost 4,500 per cent surge in the number of girls seeking a sex change in the space of less than a decade, in which the role of social media and the promotion of transgender ideology in schools will reportedly be examined.

The Mail on Sunday’s interview with the whistleblower comes shortly after the Scottish government announced the national school system would be the world’s first to require every state primary and secondary school to “embed” pro-LGBT topics, themes, and lifestyles across teaching and the curriculum.

In addition, draft education guidelines drawn up by the ruling Scottish National Party (SNP), Education Scotland and regional NHS boards, which come into effect next year, instruct that children should be taught “your gender is what you decide” from the age of five, and order teachers to highlight the importance of challenging gender stereotypes.