Just asked to comment on primary schoolSexual Education policy in Ireland. Your help needed.

[XXSex]

Can’t out myself too much.

Lots of resource books about transgender listed.

One - only one - book on female empowerment. None on male breaking down the sexist stereotypes apart from 3 (!!!!!) boy becomes girl books and now boy is happy because he can finally become himself.

I suspect that this is going to be a standard roll out in Irish primary schools (ages 4-12) and want to get my points across.

Help please with

• additional books on female and males books breaking stereotypes and ultimate acceptance.
  
• comments that I can give to the school.
  

They are bringing in concepts as transgender at 4-7 and not including anything about not having to confirm to what societal bonds there might be! FFS

[XXSex]

Should add that this is my children’s primary school and not all primary schools but suspect that it’s a similar thing across the board.

[MrGHardy]

Shocking.

[OhHolyJesus]

Can you suggest "My Body is Me" ?

Who is behind this? The HT or the LEA?

Sorry I have no idea how it works in Ireland.

[holyshitballs]

Oh god, XXSex, ROI here too, I was just thinking last night what I would do if this is rolled out here in primary schools. I think this is the hill I'm going to die on. I won't allow my daughter to be taught that hair and clothes define you as a girl. I've tried so hard to get her to question 'girl/boy colours/toys,' etc.

Your post is scary. I really think that the majority here believe in a live and let live but do not believe in the extreme ideology that is being pushed so I think you will have allies.. the very best of luck

[ludog]

I know you don't want to out yourself but can you indicate where in Ireland you are approximately?

[XXSex]

Dublin.

[XXSex]

jesus I’ve asked who’s advising them

holyshitballs yes we have a live and let live but also as a nation we can be so f*cking inert that most of us still ha e the bank account that we opened when we were 18

[XXSex]

My body is me is a great suggestion!

[MoltoAgitato]

If you are on Twitter, reach out to Stella O’Malley. She did the transgender teen documentary on Channel 4 last year and is completely fabulous.

[ludog]

I second the suggestion to talk to Stella.
I'm so glad my kids are finished school. It's such regressive, dangerous bullshit to be feeding to young children.

[EarlofEggMcMuffin]

There are all sorts of child protection implications.
Ask how their policy will comply with their Child Protection policy and procedures.

[XXSex]

Earl Can you expand on that please?

[Disneydoll12]

Following with interest.....Dublin too

[MouseandCat]

www.transgendertrend.com/schools-resources/
This might be useful

[EarlofEggMcMuffin]

XX - your school should have a Child Protection procedure which should be freely available to parents e.g. on their website. Depends on the school where they have it.

Schools take Child Protection v seriously (as they should).

Look at the "Stay Safe" programme for instance:

The Stay Safe programme itself is a personal safety skills programme designed for use with primary school children from Junior Infants through to 6th class. The programme seeks to enhance children’s self-protective skills by participation in lessons on safe and unsafe situations, bullying, inappropriate touch, secrets, telling and stranger danger.

The programme aims to give children the skills necessary to enable them to recognise and resist abuse/victimisation and teaches them that they should always tell (an adult that can help) about any situation which they find unsafe, upsetting, threatening, dangerous or abusive.

In your position, I would be going through this and their other procedures and asking questions.

Child Protection procedures have some version of the statement :-
"the protection and welfare of children is of paramount importance, regardless of all other considerations"

[EarlofEggMcMuffin]

I would also be asking lots of questions about WHO is driving the implementation of this.
Particularly at the moment, when schools are tied up with remote teaching policies, how they're going to work out back to schools procedures for Sept, supporting children that the school know to be vulnerable, working with SNAs etc.

Strange time to be doing this.

[EarlofEggMcMuffin]

Would also be very interesting to ask about their policy on differential diagnosis i.e. identifying whether the child is on the ASD spectrum, is doing age-appropriate playing with gender roles, is being victimised in some way at home or at school.

Is the chid co-presenting to HSE services either pre or post diagnosis?

Sorry to spam your thread XX, but as you can see I would have serious concerns about this BS at primary.

[TreestumpsAndTrampolines]

Fuck - Dublin too here. I've reviewed my schools stuff and it's all very sensible so far.. I'll be keeping a close eye (I've already felt out some other parents, and we're all very much of the adults can do what they want to their bodies, but kids are kids).

We have a couple quite conservative teachers (which brings its own issues - my boy knowing nothing about football completely baffled his current teacher, she seemed at a loss for things to talk to him about!), but our head really has her head screwed on I think, and the support staff are all pretty sensible in my experience God I hope it stays that way.

[7Days]

Perhaps mention the balance on one female empowerment vs 3 trans girls books and say youd like to see a broader range .

This frightens me tbh.

[StarStarTeachMe]

Educate Together school by any chance?

[4Naan]

I'm in ROI too, with a child starting school in a couple of years. Have been worrying about this for a while now, no idea what we'll be dealing with. Was hoping to send DC to an educate together, but I hope it's not a case of out of the frying pan into the fire, from the old to the new misogyny!

Please update if you can OP

[7Days]

Well thank God the days are gone when men in dresses got to tell Mna na hEireann what our bodies are, what they are for and how to feel about them .

[OhHolyJesus]

The poster here who are in ROI, you need to get together and form a group!

Just jumping back on briefly to suggest you check out safe schools alliance.

If this is the beginning, starting with the books before it goes all Stonewall with mixed sex toilets and girls having to change somewhere else for PE if they don't want to change with a boy who thinks he is a girl, then you are going to need to get in there early.

SSA have the red flags document and tons of advice and templates. They are also great on Sex Ed, so are School Gate (find the video that Posie Parker did with them on YT).

Good luck (and come back to tell us how it went!) xx

[7Days]

I think you are right ohholyJesus.

Is there a network or something. I'm not on Twitter andi dont want to have to join now either

[MayFayner]

I’m in Dublin too.

I have one in JI and another due to go in in Sept 2021. Not Educate Together.

What age / class is the material aimed at OP? Quite honestly I don’t want my DC hearing these messages any time soon.