“The fact that there are
no clear procedures on
how to change school
records following gender
reassignment is extremely
problematic and will impact
an individual’s ability to
gain employment or other
pursuits that require
educational documentation
as a prerequisite.”
gender identity while enrolled at a school, the
school records can be changed, and many
provinces have policies on alteration of the school
rolls. In Hubei, for example, current students
that have changed gender information on their
hukou can change their gender in the students
enrollment, but only after providing a series
of certificates to the school administration.234
Likewise, Guizhou Province requires students
to provide their hukou booklet, a photocopy of
their ID card and certificates from the local police
station and county-level public security bureau in
order to make the alteration.235
If a student wishes to change their gender marker after graduation, it is almost
impossible to retro-actively change the gender information in academic records. The
academic certificate is issued by the Ministry of Education (MOE), but at present there
is no policy regarding how to change information on education certificates. A blogger
named Yixi Qingrao described how he had to visit several departments to ask how
to change the gender marker on his education records. He was told he would have
to hand the material over to the school’s dean’s office, and the dean’s office would
pass the material up to the provincial education bureau. After examining and verifying
the material, the provincial education bureau would send an application letter to the
MOE. The MOE would change the electronic education records and then the material
would be passed back down through the various levels. Yixi Qingrao submitted his
material as required, but after he’d waited for more than a month, the school refused
to submit his material to the next level, so there was no recourse for him to change the
gender information in his school records. His recommendation online was that other
transgender persons who needed school records for job applications should use forged
certificates or altered photocopies.236
qualifications.” [学籍电子注册相关疑问解答] http://www.chsi.com.cn/help/xjcx.jsp (accessed November 11, 2014).
234 “(Trial) Detailed Rules and Regulations for the Alteration of Key Information on the Hubei Province Ordinary Higher Education Electronic Student
Registry,” [湖北省普通高等教育学籍电子注册关键信息变更工作细则(试行)] December 19, 2012. Article 6, para 8: Those altering their hukou
gender while enrolled in school must provide an original alteration certificate issued by the county-level public security organ. The last page of the
hukou booklet or collective registered residence recording the alteration should also be provided. The certificate should clearly record the reason for
the alteration, the content before and after alteration, the time of alteration and the contact telephone number for the work unit issuing the certificate.
235 Guizhou Provincial Education Bureau Students Office Document No. [2009] 195, “Provincial Education Bureau Notice Regarding Further
Standardization of Management Procedures for Altering the Information of Higher Education Students.” [省教育厅关于进一步规范高等学校学生信
息修改办理程序的通知] July 13, 2009. http://xsc.gzsedu.cn/Item/11344.aspx (accessed November 11, 2014).
236 Yixi Qingrao. “How to change student records.” [关于如何改学历] Baidu Tieba, November 21, 2013. http://tieba.baidu.com/p/2716786762
(accessed November 11, 2014).
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