What is being taught in schools regarding transgender ideology?

I dare say that's the case @Mooncupdotcom but what I want to avoid is giving up other career opportunities in favour of teaching and then finding my job is at risk if I refuse to compromise my integrity on this particular issue.

@airedailleurs Don’t let that put you off teaching! I truly believe we need strong, critical thinking women in teaching more that ever.

@OhHolyJesus
Sorry that’s a typo! Yes, Barnardo’s. I asked lots of questions and also followed up by sharing some links to GC groups. They used the abrightin Toolkit and their own Positive Identities resources from their website. Several colleagues have asked questions and said it’s made them think, especially the sport and accommodation aspect, so that’s encouraging.

@mooncupdotcom quick question on the training - is it Barnardos or Barbados? Not taking the p*ss a serious question - I've seen the primary school guidance from Barnardos (awful) and there are loads of the Mermaids type "training" around so wondered if it was a new one I haven't heard of.

Did you get to ask any questions? Did anyone else seem uncomfortable with the approach?

@Mooncupdotcom right and if it turns out that I would need to go along with that kind of dangerous garbage I would not join the teaching profession so thanks for the heads-up!

Mooncupdotcom My 14 year old DD’s YH (and head of the school’s LGBT club) formally transitioned her at school behind our backs, although he did tell her 17 year old brother. When we found out and complained, he told us we had no say. All on the back of LGBT Youth Scotland guidance which is similar to what you describe.

We made a formal complaint to the Head which was upheld. DD’s therapist thinks the best shot DD has at desisting is by not having the adults around her affirm her desire to be seen as a boy, and there are many medical professionals who would support this view. IMO, schools should work with parents and not just listen to lobby groups who have little experience in child development- affirmation is an experiment with no long term research behind it.

There’s hopefully going to be an upcoming court case in Oxfordshire that in part, looks at this (see @SafeSchools_UK on Twitter)

I had a thread used recently about upcoming Barbados training for teaching staff in my establishment....

It was outrageous. Gender bread person, cis, how you should be subject to disciplinary for misgendering, how puberty blockers are a harmless and helpfully pause, lots of emotive sharing about homophobic abuse, conflating sex and gender throughout. Questions discouraged. Shocking.

I work in a secondary school and tend to keep relatively quiet. luckily the biology books are still based firmly in reality which makes teacher that topic a little easier and I'm fairly knowledgable about confusion around chromosomes and intersex conditions so able to fall back on solid biological evidence if the conversation veers into that conversation. However we have a number of transgender pupils so do keep it respectful (and not just because I have to but because they do deserve respect and have no wish to make a pupil feel uncomfortable in my class).

I am considering going into Secondary school teaching and am very curious to know what I would and wouldn't be able to say about Transgender issues in a professional capacity/setting to avoid being fired. Many TIA.

A group called handsoffourkids is advocating against the new curriculum but their website is a bit 'hysterical' so I'm not sure I entirely trust the people behind it. Brings to mind pro-life campaigners a bit too much.

Would anybody like to add their thoughts to a review of RSE in Ireland? Closing date the 25th. They are going down the same route of pushing 'trans ideology' apparently.

RSE

Survey

Although I'm absolutely completely GC and really don't think Primary schools should be touching this with a barge pole, kids are increasingly aware of this, if not from a child in school then certainly from tv. Cbbc for example.

It's being normalised.

I do believe that schools need to explain as simply and neutrally as possible. Emphasise rarity. And then draw a line. And very firmly tackle gender stereotypes and prejudice, homophobia, acceptance, difference, and many other areas around the EA.

Unfortunately, without proper official guidance, there are going to be schools with especially woke teachers who will make a big thing of it.

Safe School alliance and transgender trend are trying to keep schools from the ott wokeness.

Looks like there's nothing to stop people from outside of Wales responding to that, OldCrone.

If you're in Wales, there's currently a consultation about continuing to allow parents to withdraw their children from RSE lessons.

gov.wales/ensuring-access-full-curriculum

Consultation closes on 28th November.

. Heavily reinforcing sex role stereotypes, because it is impossible to push the narrative of everyone having an innate gender identity without resorting to stereotypes. So, it's all about what real boys and girls do and if you like even just some of the things stereotypically associated with opposite sex, you might be trans.

I'd be naming and shaming any school that was doing this. Have you spoke to the school? Change schools, there's plenty that are not doing this. My kids schools are the total opposite and they're just normal state primary and secondary schools. No mention of trans issues at all, not that I'd mind if it was done well. Both sexes encouraged in all subjects, no stereotype shit at all. I have a son and a daughter. Schools that my friends and family's kids go to are like the schools my kids attend. I've never come across one that's actually doing what you're saying, but I'd complain if I did.

What is being taught in schools regarding transgender ideology?

Bollocks according to my kids. Got the sex change nonsense going on both at primary and secondary school where we are (from my recollection, secondary started first). Heavily reinforcing sex role stereotypes, because it is impossible to push the narrative of everyone having an innate gender identity without resorting to stereotypes. So, it's all about what real boys and girls do and if you like even just some of the things stereotypically associated with opposite sex, you might be trans.

Teachers are required to tie themselves in knots in delivering this nonsense, because they are also required to teach kids that sex role stereotypes and sex stereotypes are harmful.

This is also having a detrimental impact on other parts of the curriculum - for instance the part which stipulates that children must learn the difference between fact and opinion, and critical thinking skills. Or Religious and Moral Education where they are learning that true respect and tolerance mean to accept others have their own views and beliefs that may not align with yours.

This is of course impossible when you are also indoctrinating them in an ideology that frames dissent as unkindness, literal violence or even criminal as the BBC claimed in its 100 genders piece.

Sorry that should say “you” not mood.

Also today a friend told me about the school she works in where a child under 8 is using the girls loo. When he wants to though because he believes he is a boy sometimes and a girl sometimes. Some of the girls have mentioned it to the staff- as in -“Miss- x is in the girls toilets and he shouldn’t be.” So right away there we have a group of girls who are being told to go against their instincts. At what point do those girls then get told actually you are entitled to your personal sex based spaces for your privacy and dignity if they don’t learn this right away? And at what point does the boy get told you can’t do that anymore because your now 8 and we must sex segregate mood by law at school? Because If this does pop up as a subject for discussion in his class how on earth should a teacher handle it?

“cabbageking
It is about provision for your specific cohort aimed at their understanding.
Year 6 class one year may be very young and not ask searching questions. Another Year 5 class may have questions that need answering.”
This in my opinion is exactly the problem. My children are not part of some homogeneous “cohort” they are individuals. I don’t want them being swept along with ideas around this that I do not agree with. I don’t think schools are qualified to deliver this information.
@AutumnRose1 re the survey parents have to opt out. So a message went out to parents when the first charity came on board saying you can opt out. I didn’t out of nosiness. I’ve decided we should do though.

TrishTeres there is nothing extreme about the B. Along with the L and the G it is benign.

As I said in an earlier post:

The problem in the UK at the moment is that this is being framed as a battle between religious parents (especially muslims) and enlightened educators keen to redress the damage of s28.

We need to change this narrative because there are lots of very solid reasons - child safeguarding, women and girls' rights, LGB rights etc. - to resist what's happening in schools. Reasons that have nothing to do with religion, homophobia, right wing bla bla.

Regarding lobby groups and schools, note Rowdy Woman's informative post from last year:

**The law and guidance:
Most transgender organisations are political pressure groups in that they try to influence public policy in the interest of their particular cause. Schools are constrained by the duty to comply with Sections 406 and 407 of the Education Act 1996 which forbids ‘the promotion of partisan political views…’
There is also a requirement found in the Prevent Duty and Teaching Controversial Issues for Schools which places a duty on schools to “secure that where political issues are brought to the attention of pupils… they are offered a balanced presentation of opposing views”. So groups trying to influence policy about say changing the use of sex segregated spaces in schools, changing school policy, changing language used in schools etc are acting as political pressure groups and if they are working with pupils there MUST be a balance of views.

Trans pressure groups present themselves as dealing with bullying, vulnerability etc but in addition to this, they are politically influencing school policy and practice - and there are laws about this. It's just that nobody has picked up on this as they only 'see' the initial anti bullying advice**

What is the obsession with 'Stonewall Champion' status?

Stonewall are, and always have been, a lobby group. There is nothing wrong with lobby groups per se, but the public sector have a remit that requires political neutrality. I'm a public sector worker and we are not allowed to even have a collection tin for the Poppy Appeal as it is seen as political, so why in schools do certain issues have the normal rules thrown out of the window?

Stonewall! - the word means the opposite of dialogue.

Thanks for putting me onto fairplayforwomen

Well done on your leafletting and outreach DuMondeB