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Original poster

Feminist school governor

114 replies

TheFeministGovernor · 28/09/2018 22:05

I wanted to start a thread to get ideas from my fellow feminists, and share some success stories, and some battles still to win.

I am a governor at a primary school. I have a good relationship with the school, and need to tread carefully in this thread, as I absolutely do not want to out the school, or myself. I believe I'm coming from a good, well-intentioned place in writing this as, during the year I have been doing the role, I have already come across several things that have made me anxious from the point of feminism.

I wanted to use this thread to catalogue successes (small though they may be) where I have challenged and improved school policy, places where I have challenged and made no progress, and places where I have not yet managed to challenge.

I also wanted to get ideas from parents, governors, non-parents, non-governors on what else can be improved (within a governor's remit) pertaining to equality and feminism.

Successes

  • Challenged school on all-male curriculum "heroes" for early years. Head promised to revise it to include female role models.
  • Picked up on and removed use of "gender" rather than "sex'' in school policies pertaining to the Equality Act. (NB This was slightly pedantic in terms of actual application, but erosion and distortion of language is important.)

Challenged (not yet successful)

  • Within the next 3 years, the school will be getting a new building, and they have planned unisex toilets throughout all ages. I raised in very plain language with the headteacher (male) that older girls may not want to use communal sinks if they have blood on their hands. He might be avoiding me at social events from now on.
  • Raised the issue that all meeting rooms in the school are named after male authors. This I have been told will not be changed.

Yet to challenge

  • As with many schools, there is a discrepancy between boys' achievement and girls, with boys coming off worse. The strategy is currently to teach - and I quote - "boy-friendly topics" like racing cars and superheroes. I barely know where to start with this one, let alone with the fact that their actual published aim is to help make boys "better" progress than the girls. (I do appreciate they mean progress from a lower starting point - not necessarily to make boys achieve more than the girls, but it seems wrong.)

Of course the root of the problem is OFSTED who don't seem to look at equality in sex as a key focus, so understandably it's not the head's focus either (and arguably, therefore, nor should it be a governor's).

But I thought this might be of interest to some.

OP posts:
Original poster
TheFeministGovernor · 19/10/2018 16:39

@AbsintheFriends Thank you. Sobering reading. I hope our school doesn't become a battleground and I hope we can steer through issues with common sense (and a large helping of bringing down the patriarchy).

OP posts:
AbsintheFriends · 19/10/2018 16:31

It 's here TheFeministGovernor

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3398737-We-re-Still-Here-Conference-8th-September-A-report-from-the-inside

Long, and not for the faint hearted, but helpfully broken down into sections. Education is 2nd down. The bit that struck me as relevant was this one: "The panel's recommendation was to get the pro-gender extremist philosophy in at school governor level and find allies" But it's definitely worth reading all of the opening posts.

Original poster
TheFeministGovernor · 19/10/2018 16:19

@AbsintheFriends I haven't seen that thread. Could you please link if possible?

I want to gather as many resources as possible so I can be well-informed.

OP posts:
AbsintheFriends · 19/10/2018 15:08

I saw this and wondered if the OP had read the 'We're Still Here' conference thread? There's a bit about TRAs actively targeting schools via school governor positions.

Mine are all almost out of the school system now so my PTA days are well and truly behind me. I never thought I'd consider applying to be a governor, but that thread has changed my mind. It seems that GC people with an awareness of what's going on behind the scenes are going to be massively important in schools in the coming years.

VMisaMarshmallow · 19/10/2018 12:43

My young girls would in no way be comfortable with unisex toilets. Even 5/6/7 year old boys have already internalised ‘boys will be boys’ and ‘boys like rough play etc’ and act differently towards girls. Girls need privacy from that at all ages when dealing with toileting. Changing for pe in class isn’t a big deal at those ages normally as pants stay on and otherwise bodies are the same but toileting/changing for swimming requires girls get privacy and dignity.

I would be interested on the schools policy on teaching appropriate touch and how to say no etc and imho I’d say having unisex toilets directly contractdicts teaching kids it’s ok to have boundaries and that certain body parts are private. We can’t teach them to voice their discomfort on one hand them trample over it by implementing unisex toilets.

We are a family that leaves toilet doors open since we had kids, I have zero issue my kids walking in on me or their dad changing, yet they automatically began to require privacy from their dad at those ages in a way they didn’t need it from me. It’s about more than safety, it’s dignity and privacy.

Original poster
TheFeministGovernor · 19/10/2018 12:22

@spanglylycra I totally take your point about RE and how it rarely if ever presents a message of equality.

It is a separate battle that many people have with schools. Unfortunately, this is one that needs protesting at a national level if we want to see change. There is an Act which stipulates that schools must provide a daily act of worship, which is broadly Christian in character. I think it was last updated in about 1933, which is obviously ridiculous, but probably a different fight... it's not something a governor can do much about as the law dictates this one.

I will be looking further into the unisex toilet issue (as the ones at the school do NOT have a sink inside the cubicle) and seeing if I can effect change here.

OP posts:
AnnPerkins · 09/10/2018 13:12

I have been thinking a lot lately about behaviour management at DS's old lower school. I have seen threads on MN by parents unhappy that their DD is being sat next to badly-behaved children to help manage them in class. Admittedly this happens to some boys too, but seems to be mainly a problem for girls.

There is a boy at the school who is often violent. Other children have been asked to accompany him when he walks in the corridors because he can't be trusted on his own. One girl has been moved to another school because her parents weren't happy that she ended up being the default child who would stay indoors with the boy at lunchtime when he had been kept in. She was kind to him and tried to be his friend but ended up scared of him and scared to go to school.

I was surprised to hear recently that the school has now imposed a no-touching rule in the class. No child in the class is allowed to touch another in any way, they can't even hold hands in the playground. This will surely give the children skewed perceptions of proper boundaries and behaviour?

Girls shouldn't have to manage boys' behaviour, often to their own detriment. Not sure how a school governor can change it though.

tediousnamechange · 09/10/2018 12:27

Following!

titchy · 09/10/2018 12:26

Unisex toilets are fine as long as the sink is contained within the cubicle. having to come out of a unisex toilet to wash hands is illegal for children over the age of 8. Page 5:

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/410294/Advice_on_standards_for_school_premises.pdf

Plus health and safety executive website.

jellyfrizz · 09/10/2018 11:58

I sent it to the Chair of Governors.

jellyfrizz · 09/10/2018 11:45

Thanks for this. I've just sent an email off to my children's school to ask them to amend the policy from gender to sex.

If it's of any help, this was the email I sent:

I am writing to ask that JellyfrizzJnrs School update their Equality Policy to properly reflect the Equality Act 2010.

The policy states:

"This policy sets out how the school will promote equality of opportunity regardless of race, gender, transgender, disability, age, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief and sexual orientation, in both the delivery of its services and the employment of its staff. It is created by JellyfrizzJnrSchool’s Governing Board and leadership team in line with the Equality Act 2010 and is the foundation of all the school’s other policies – particularly the Special Educational Needs and Disability Policy, Admissions Policy, Anti-Bullying Guidance and the Behaviour for Learning Policy."

The Equality Act 2010 lists sex as a protected characteristic, not gender (www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/4). This should be listed accurately in the school's Equality Plan, especially as this policy is the basis for others.

I believe this is important as female children have specific challenges due to their biology. Just last month a report showed that 9 out of 10 girls worry about going to school while on their periods (www.tes.com/news/nine-ten-girls-fear-period-shaming). 350,000 girls miss school each year because of attitudes from others to their normal bodily functions.

Sexual harassment is also a problem for females in schools; 59% of girls and young women aged 13-21 said in 2014 that they had faced some form of sexual harassment at school or college in the past year (www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/women-and-equalities-committee/news-parliament-2015/sexual-harassment-and-violence-in-schools-report-published-16-17/)

These issues that girls face are down to their biology and in order to address that we need to clearly recognise it. They face these challenges because of their sex, not gender - which has a meaning beyond biology.

I have a son and a daughter at JellyfrizzJnrSchool and I am requesting as a concerned parent that the JellyfrizzJnrSchool Equality Policy is amended to correctly reflect the law and to protect girls (and boys) on the basis of their sex.

beldaran · 09/10/2018 10:56

Further to my post up thread, I'm a parent governor and I raised the incorrect protected characteristics in the schools equalities policy only to now be landed with the job of finding them a more suitable policy!

I've gone through all the equality policies of the schools in our MAT (multi academy trust) and NONE of them have the correct characteristics.....one even has Sex (including transgender people) as a characteristic. The only one I could see that might pass is for a high school and the school I am at is a 2-19 special school.

How on earth am I supposed to sort this! Can anyone point me to a good and sound equalities policy?

Spanglylycra · 02/10/2018 22:21

This isn't exactly a feminist issue but leads into it... the teaching of RE at schools and how "fact" it is made out to be. My daughter is starting to get really confused. But allied to this the view/treatment of women held by some/many religions which is glossed over riles me. I'm not quite sure what to do about it as it's still quite new but if anyone has had similar issue I would be interested in how you handled it.

BoomBoomsCousin · 02/10/2018 22:11

OP the drop off in girls' engagement in STEM starts at about age 9. There are lots of programs that schools could put into effect, like YogaDrone's Dare to be Different club. Encouraging girls to continue with STEM interests is really important for their future earning capacity (not to mention, for our society to get the best scientists and engineers it can).

Also, I don't know how diverse your school is, but intersectional issue can be complex in schools. Making sure that poverty and racial justice solutions work for girls as well as boys is important (e.g. what is pupil premium money spent on? Mainly raising primarily boys' grades because it's so focused on low achievers? Or more evenly spread?)

FeminismandWomensFights · 02/10/2018 22:05

I just checked and our school has gender and gender equality listed as the protected characteristics under which the school has legal duties. Hmm
No sex and no maternity - (isn’t maternity part of it too?)

Would someone please be very kind and point me to a simple summary of what I need to ask them to do, to get the policy in line with the law? They talk about how they are working with Stonewall’s Education for All campaign.

Original poster
TheFeministGovernor · 02/10/2018 21:31

Thank you for all your thoughts. I'm glad this thread has spurred others on to check their school's policies.

It's also reassured me that there's a lot the school is doing right. I do love the Talk For Writing (but the protagonists in the stories the school has chosen have been exclusively male as far as I can see).

The school also has a "boys'" uniform and a "girls'" uniform, with no trouser option for summer for the girls. Having said that, I saw a lot of girls last year wearing gingham playsuits, with no repercussions (though they are a faff for girls going to the toilet). I would like to see more girls in shorts and a shirt because I actually doubt it would be challenged on a day-to-day perspective. However, I would like to see it formally allowed as part of the uniform policy.

Does anyone know if the advice from the DfE re: separate toilet facilities is simply advice/best practice or is legally enforceable?

OP posts:
YogaDrone · 02/10/2018 19:13

Thanks Smile I think so too, but then I'm biased!

I had a victory with the uniform supplier today too. Although our uniform is just one list of uniform the supplier's website breaks it into "Boys" and "Girls". I raised it with them ages ago and asked if it could be changed and they said they'd talk to their web site providers. They supply lots of the schools uniforms so I knew this wouldn't be quick or easy. Anyway, the Manager called me today to say that the web design team have now agreed to implement an "All" category for schools who do not want to differentiate their uniforms into boys and girls. No ETA for it yet, but little steps Grin

beldaran · 02/10/2018 12:53

Well having read this thread it spurred me on to check my DDs school Equality Policy.

Disappointingly they have listed Sex (gender) and Transgender as two the protect characteristics so an email has gone off to my governors main contact at school to ask who wrote it. The school is part of a MAT so this shall be interesting when they ask what needs to be changed.

SirVixofVixHall · 30/09/2018 21:32

I agree Yoga your school sounds great !

KingLooieCatz · 30/09/2018 17:44

@YogaDrone love the sound of your son's school.

DS class were all bought into reading by a combination of The Borrowers and an amazing teacher. She had them convinced the borrowers had been in the classroom overnight. Also used "fractured fairy tales" to appeal to the boys as well as girls without using any stereotypes. They re-wrote fairy tales and gave them a twist. DS did Goldilocks in space.

traceyracer · 30/09/2018 17:23

waves hello guv'nor

GrimDamnFanjo · 30/09/2018 17:10

Bloody autocorrect!

GrimDamnFanjo · 30/09/2018 17:10

Secondary governor reading replies with interest...

GrimDamnFanjo · 30/09/2018 17:09

Secondary governor reads no replies with interest...

traceyracer · 30/09/2018 16:56

haven't Nordic countries been using unisex toilets for years now?