What do people think of this going on at my daughter's primary school?

Mini it's just a non-issue, like I said my DSs have been asked to bring both on different occasions, it's got nothing to do with anything more than food, people just like to have something to object to. No matter how they assigned it, someone somewhere would have been "offended" as it seems to be a lot of people's favourite past time.

The overwhelming majority here think it is not offensive.

I will go further; as a feminist, I feel that pearl clutching about non-issues such as this does quite a lot of harm to the cause.

That whole thing makes me feel a little bit uneasy. For similar events in our school, each child is given a request to bring a particular thing, eg fruit, sandwiches, crisps.

Regarding the Britishness thing, I think that it's a pointless without any background teaching about Britain, and is basically a way of reinforcing everyone's stereotypes. It might have been nice, for instance, to look at different counties or regions with famous people, foods, events and traditions for each one, and had each class do something to do with their particular county.
Or look at folk music and folk tales.
Or look at the story of St George and have a knights and dragons day.
Or learn about what schools are like in a few other countries and what is different and special about their school.

The 'famous Britains' needs pointing out to school though.

wasps that is hilarious that it is DH's b'day too!
Hope he has a good one (don't forget his present!)

NewStart, that's exactly why it's subconscious. Nobody gives it a second thought. Nor do they see anything wrong in the decision. Nor do they ever consider that they are subtly conditioned to automatically assign sweet to girls and savoury to boys. But if you looked at 1000 schools doing the same, you'd expect a 50/50 split between teachers who allocated sweet to the boys and those who allocated sweet to the girls. Would you not? Except, that's isnt the case where such studies have been done before. It's more like 90%+ assigning sweet (or the equivalent) to the girls.

I'm more offended by the "famous Britains"

Well, just because you are offended, does not mean that it is offensive.

What's wrong with celebrating being British?

"You seem determined to be offended by this" - "That's because I am. Sorry"

But then

"I am not professionally offended. It is very difficult to offend me"

Bit of a contradiction. I don't understand why, by your own admission, you would be "determined to be offended". Why not just take something at face value and decide it if genuinely bothers you or not rather than looking for something to be upset by? I just can't understand that mindset, I'm not trying to be argumentative, I just really don't get it.

Mini people don't give it any other thought as there's nothing to think about. They probably have their food in their classes (this is how it's done at my DCs school), so boy/girl is the easiest way to make sure they get a mix of food. It's nothing to do with anything being ingrained, it's just quick and easy.

I would have swapped the girl/boy/sweet/savoury thing around too

NewName,

Mini one study doesn't mean most people. Everyone I know would not give it any further thought other than remembering to actually send the required food in.

That was precisely the point the study was making; that nobody would give it any further thought.

This exact thread is the reason I couldn't be in education. If someone came to me complaining about this I'd be inclined to run away. It's so...nothing.

Nativities are well offensive binary, didn't you know??
Diwali, Eid, Chinese New Year - fine!
Nativity with Jesus Mary and Joseph? Offensive to other religions!! You have to stick a load of weird characters in and do a completely different story, or you offend the professionally offended such as the OP

Famous Britains? Famous Britons surely? I'd certainly be bringing that up. Pretty bad error on their part.

:) I, too, noticed this.
Our DC's school celebrates, Diwali, Eid, Chinese new year, despite having a very small (but not absent) number of Hindus, Moslems and Chinese, yet on 23rd April it has a "Spring Fair". I'm not nationalistic at all, but it is odd, don't you think?

We are having a multi culturalism day. Wish we could swap op ours sound wish washy trying to be right on would much prefer the British one. Sad that anything British now is seen as negative / far right.

It's not like the poster says "Girls must bring sweet things, because they are girls"

Annoyed... BY WHAT???

I'd be annoyed by it, OP. You are not alone.

The only saving grace is that the sweet things are more frequently shop-bought.
Any bets that loads of the boys will turn up with crisps? Or perhaps pot noodles?