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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:
SirVixofVixHall · 28/09/2018 23:23

My daughters’ school is thinking of mixed sex loos apparently. Really grim for girls, mine wouldn’t use them. Can’t imagine boys feeling very comfortable either. So if this goes ahead the entire school will have to put up with feeling stressed and uncomfortable, bar one or two pupils, and half of the school will be risking harassment and assault, with the added anxiety around periods, just to validate the identity of the tiny numbers of “trans” pupils, who if left alone and not put on puberty blockers will have an 80% chance (or is it higher ?) of deciding that they are comfortable with their sex after all.
I can’t believe it is good for any child to have that much power over a whole school for a start.

seafret · 28/09/2018 23:11

Just a quick thought... perhaps raise the risk of toxic shock syndrome if girls are reluctant to change their tampons - especially on lighter days, or on bad ones the temptation to put another one in.

8 hours is reachable if going from 8am to 4pm away from home or a private toilet.

Might make him think of ££££££££ for possible liability. And of course if you have warned him in writing and it happens, well...

That is apart from the fact that it sounds illegal.

Ooforfoxsakeridesagain · 28/09/2018 22:59

There was a piece in TES about period shaming last week. Something like 35000 girls miss school because of periods. Might be worth finding the article.

silentcrow · 28/09/2018 22:57

Have you got a school library and someone who runs it? You can do some great subversion there if you can get them onside, promoting female authors and characters, adjusting the balance of content. Promoting diversity (in terms of sex and race) is very big in the kidlit world right now (as it should be!). It's my speciality so pm me if you want to discuss in more detail.

GulagsMyArse · 28/09/2018 22:56

there is another thread somewhere re school toilets. I think its a legal requirement in schools to have sex segregated.

Judashascomeintosomemoney · 28/09/2018 22:56

Also remind him that girls are 18 times more likely to be sexually harassed and assaulted in mixed-sex facilities
This. Maybe have a source to quote? There’s a resources thread somewhere in Feminism Chat

Judashascomeintosomemoney · 28/09/2018 22:54

he's embarrassed imagining it, so how does he think the girls will feel having to actually have it happen
This is a very simple but powerful argument

Charliethefeminist · 28/09/2018 22:54

I agree with that comment about talking about periods. Make it harder for him to disagree with you than to agree with you. Make him want to shut you up so much that he will take action.

Judashascomeintosomemoney · 28/09/2018 22:53

so understandably it's not the head's focus either (and arguably, therefore, nor should it be a governor's)
Well, that bit is easy, the Governors are there to hold the head to account so, it may not be his focus, but it can definitely be yours.

Charliethefeminist · 28/09/2018 22:53

Sex Ed consultation

Have you responded to this? Your voice would be immensely valuable

SonicVersusGynaephobia · 28/09/2018 22:46

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.

Please do keep on at him about this. Even if he feels uncomfortable when you talk about blood on fingers and hands. And if he is visibly squirming, simply comment on how he's embarrassed imagining it, so how does he think the girls will feel having to actually have it happen.

Also remind him that girls are 18 times more likely to be sexually harassed and assaulted in mixed-sex facilities.

IrenetheQuaint · 28/09/2018 22:25

Marking place.

UpstartCrow · 28/09/2018 22:22

How are unisex toilets even legal? I cant believe its 2018 and you have to do this!

PronounIsWitch · 28/09/2018 22:19

I’m placemarking as it is too late to make sensible comments.

However I would say that I’m also a School governor and I am dipping my toe into encouraging School to discuss specific policies re diversity and how School then complies with the Equality Act. I’d love to hear from anyone whose school had adopted the TT approach instead of Allsorts etc.

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