No more girls and boys; can our children go gender free? BBC 2 tonight

I'm all for removing the gender bias from teaching. But not removing the privacy boundaries due to biology.

Yes definitely agree with this.

I don't understand why the two get mashed together. Dress sense and such are absolutely nothing to do with biological reality. I am all for removing the stereotypes associated with sex, including clothing styles, which toys kids play with and so on. But this does not mean I wish to pretend sex does not exist at all as I realise that it is necessary to have sex segregation in certain areas of life, including but not limited to changing rooms, prisons and sports.

Sex segregated areas are separated by biology. NOT by hairstyles, clothing and names. Why some insist on pretending that this is not true I don't know...

I can absolutely be patient. Thank you!

I have just watched the first episode on catch up with my children and I too shed a tear watching Lexi ringing the bell. Even though I'm decades older I can totally relate to that anxiety she felt before doing it within my work. I look forward to watching the second episode. I realised that the majority of my children's bookcases totally contradict the message I'm trying to pass on to them and am inspired now to get them some new books-and also get some for their friends as Birthday presents. Does anyone know what books the class were looking at within the experiment?

The crushing empathy we feel for those girls shows how just how barely under the surface this all is.

This is so very true Datun I cried during the programme. I find myself in daily life having to explain my feminism to those who see it as unnecessary or who think I am too extreme. I am tired of justifying my beliefs to people and to see it laid out there on this programme, to see how much the gendered way we treat children affects them and how early it affects them moved me. I felt like shouting 'SEE!' to everyone. I also felt extremely frustrated.

What I liked about the program really was that it emphasised the positive impact on children's self esteem and behaviour, with particular reference to social interactions and confidence. It was not all about helping girls but creating a more equal positive environment for all. Interesting viewing.

I agree, I found this very positive and it aligns with my beliefs that although radical feminism centres women any changes effected will impact society as a whole in a positive way. It was fascinating to me that just by implementing these changes the parents could see a difference in their behaviour at home with one parent commenting on how her son had been much kinder to his sister. The gender bias insidious in society has a direct impact on how men treat women and it starts early, the fact we can change this if everyone took these ideas on board actually makes me feel emotional. Imagine if we really could reduce male violence through small, conscious changes in the gender biased way children are treated? It has huge implications.

Mr Andre well done.

I've just watched episode 2.

I'm so angry that kids are still being shoe-horned into these restrictive gender roles half a century after second-wave feminists tried to get to work dismantling them.

So much wasted potential

What I liked about the program really was that it emphasised the positive impact on children's self esteem and behaviour, with particular reference to social interactions and confidence. It was not all about helping girls but creating a more equal positive environment for all. Interesting viewing.

I thought it was much better this week. It made it a bit more explicit that it was life success due to ingrained behaviour as an effect rather than gender itself that they were focussing on. I felt last week was more on not wanting girls to be girly and boys to be boyish. This week was more about why and the impacts.

Lovely that confidence was an effect too.

Glad they listened to the children about loos!

I went to an all-girls school and noticed how a lot of these roles/assumptions weren't present in the school. It was common to talk of wanting high powered jobs etc. But it was a highly academic selective school. Also perhaps once I was then in a co-ed/real world environment the roles were even more apparent to me which gives a slight oppressing feeling. I'd be interested on a study about these effects in all-girls or all-boys schools.

It was so heartwarming to see the kids change and the girls to gain more confidence.

I was shouting at the TV though during the t shirt bit because it's so bloody obvious!! And the parents are all "oh I hadn't thought of it like that"!

🙄 I mean duh!!

Glad to see it ended happily :-) Poor Javid let his frustration slip with the Tshirts, I don't blame him.

Good work Mr Andre!

I'm just about half way and they've taken away the kids' toys! I hope they're going to replace them with some interesting toys instead.

Yep. Thought it was pretty good. Definitely need to work on gender roles around the home though

Anyone watching it now?

I've seen research previously around how people treat babies dressed in 'girl' clothes in contrast to how they treated babies dressed in 'boys' clothes. It's quite shocking how ingrained this behaviour is.

There is evidence to show is starts even before birth. Knowing gender from scans means gendered language is used from 20 weeks, even earlier sometimes.

A foetus kicking will be a little footballer if male, giving her mum trouble if female. Mothers will say they knew it was a boy because of how strongly they kick- they perceive boy kicks to be more forceful, when in reality there's no way to know. If it is male and doesn't kick much it's a "lazy" boy, if female it's because girls are better behaved.

People pick the stereotype amd match the behaviour.

Thank you that makes a lot of sense. I've seen research previously around how people treat babies dressed in 'girl' clothes in contrast to how they treated babies dressed in 'boys' clothes. It's quite shocking how ingrained this behaviour is.

Just caught up with this and found some things really astonishing

The teacher calling girls sweet pea and apparently having no idea he does it?!

People offering toys based on how the baby was dressed and also deciding how to handle the baby based on that?

The arrogance of some of the boys.

The worst thing was feeling we are going round in circles, a lot of what was being challenged was being challenged when I was a kid, then I think things improved but maybe I imagined that....of course certain toys develop spatial awareness.

I think the title is really unfortunate though. It was probably intended as provocative but I think for people quickly scanning what's on, many will reject it thinking its a different show than it is.

I think it's interesting about confidence coming from physical strength and fitness. Coming from a farming background and being sporty has reinforced that for me. I made sure PE was done properly as a primary teacher and was not a sideline.. Also boys played netball and girls played football in my lessons. machinery has made it easier for more women to be farmers etc. My over arm throwing is shite though!

KimLek

I'm the first to admit, I am not an academic feminist. But as soon as I understood the issue, I grasped it instantly.

Why are women considered second-class? Why are boy babies valued over girl babies? Why are 117 million girl babies aborted before they are born? Why honour killings? Why FGM? Always happening to girls, not boys.

When a baby is born and someone says it's a boy, or it's a girl, gender roles are instantly assigned. Consciously or not consciously.

Women are oppressed by their gender roles. They can't vote, they're too feeble minded. If they left their husband it was because they were hysterical and they were incarcerated. When they got married, not only did everything they own belong to their husband, the children also belonged to him should they split.

In the 60s, they were doing the same job as men and being paid less. Why? Because they're not worth it.

In the 90s sex on demand was a man's right. Why? Because that's a woman's role.

We've come an awful long way. But still, gender roles are assigned.

And although they disadvantage men, not as much as they disadvantage women.

Women are oppressed.

Gender roles are the means by which it is done.