School newsletter tells girls how to bind

toffeebutterpopcorn 😆😂🤣😂🤣

I remember in primary 5 when the class bad lad brought in a copy of Page 3! It was the talk of the school....

Can you imagine what would happen if sixth formers were sending out copies of 50 shades off grey, or readers wives to the 11 year olds? All under the guise of ‘education’ of course.

😆 I have to say, this really made me chuckle ... and reminds me of a story I was told by one of my female relatives who was involved in distributing of a copy of Lady Chatterly’s Lover to the local boys school 😄

Being a lesbian teacher working in schools throughout Section 28 (and teaching SRE), the tedious attempts to make parallels with what is happening to vulnerable children deciding they've been born in the wrong body is deeply offensive.

Persistent

Can you imagine what would happen if sixth formers were sending out copies of 50 shades off grey, or readers wives to the 11 year olds? All under the guise of ‘education’ of course.

But if they screw up on safguarding - and it sounds like they have - then they need their arses kicking. The end.

100 times this.

Yeah I'm not sure what the prefect statement was about either Toffee.
I went to a comprehensive in the East End of London where prefects didn't exist yet both of us still think humans can't change sex.

[quote 2fallsagain]@Quartz2208 what this has done is shed light on their piss poor safeguarding. I can bet this isn't the first issue the school has had to deal with on this. [/quote]
Looks like you're right.

Quote from the comments on the article.

My daughter goes to this school. I had no idea about this breast binding article. Thank you for bringing it to our attention. I complained to the school last year when the student newsletter recommended that students contact Mermaids for information. The teacher, who responded said that she'd checked with the borough's safeguarding lead and they said Mermaids was ok, because Stonewall and the NHS endorsed them (ha ha). I pointed her in the direction of law suits against the Tavistick clinic.

I was a prefect, had a badge and everything.

I'm guessing it was supposed to be some sort of insult, but in a "you're so funny when you're drunk or stoned" way, which only works when your audience is drunk or stoned.

[quote 2fallsagain]@Quartz2208 what this has done is shed light on their piss poor safeguarding. I can bet this isn't the first issue the school has had to deal with on this. [/quote]
Well according to @SplodgeWaddler they previously had to fire a headmaster for texting a sixth former. Clearly the school has zero concept of safeguarding.

The fish usually rots from the head.

I realise that this isn't the point of the thread but, while we're here:
@spoonrider Are you and other transgender people and allies under some sort of legal obligation to use the terms "y'all" and "folk"?

Do people think parents first action is to go to the press? Normally parents do that when they have exhausted all other avenues or if they feel they not be taken seriously. Or worse feel their child will suffer. Good schools who make mistakes are unlikely to be featured in the national press. Schools with systematic SG failures may well be.

Choosing a school is a frigging nightmare. I never want to do it again and yes, reputation is a fragile thing and, if it's trashed, everyone loses. So I always sympathise with a parent wanting to defend their child's school, especially if the child is thriving there. But if they screw up on safguarding - and it sounds like they have - then they need their arses kicking. The end.

There are posters on this thread who really know their stuff. I know who I'd listen to.

Guardian May 2018
'Schools pulled into row over helping transgender children'
(extract)
"Adele Robinson (not her real name), a head of year at a secondary school, shares Davies-Arai’s worries. The school has had 12 children, all girls, come out as transgender in the past 18 months. The majority, she says, have autism, and some have experienced sexual abuse.

When they come out, she says, they have brought in information sourced from Tumblr blogs and YouTube videos. Although her team does its best to “support every child in a loving, kind and compassionate way”, she feels that staff are too frightened to challenge what she sees as harmful practices: “We have chest binders worn in school, which is horrible. If a child was cutting, they would be straight in with a counsellor. Yet damaging developing breast tissue goes unquestioned. It’s a gross failure in terms of child protection.” (continues)
www.theguardian.com/education/2018/may/15/transgender-row-teachers-afraid-challenge-breast-binding

Some people really thing that this is a representation of the Section 28 demos...

Sorry kiddos - it was nothing to do with gender...

@Quartz2208 what this has done is shed light on their piss poor safeguarding. I can bet this isn't the first issue the school has had to deal with on this.

Ouch. Section 28 anyone?

As a lesbian, I'd ask (on behalf of myself and the overwhelming majority of lesbians and gay men that I know) that you stop comparing a law that prohibited any mention of homosexuality in schools to people's objection to the inclusion of instructions on how to permanently mutilate your breasts in a school newsletter.

Ouch. Section 28 anyone?

Do you have any knowledge of queer theory? This isn't about homosexuality it's about queering language and meaning. It's about erasing boundaries and established norms. Go away and do a bit of reading before you hurl yourself drunk onto an FWR thread.

This The problem of course now is that the majority of the year 7s as far as I can tell didnt really read it and certainly didnt click on the links. They are now very aware of the Times article and are expecting it to be raised tomorrow.

And this There is a right way and a wrong way and this was the wrong way

Quartz, I see your point but personally I think the benefits may outweigh the negatives. If parents are aware they are now able to have discussions with their children and make sure that these discussions are balanced.

I am happy to discuss these issues and the risks with my children. The would not (I cannot believe I have to write this) have initiated a discussion about the dangers and risk associated with fisting and “chem sex” (?), the latter term I learned today and appears to be about the combination of illegal drugs and sex. I would also not have started any conversation about the damage of breast tissue from binding or how this may make exercise harder.

However, If I knew that my child was exposed to these discussions in school I would be quite happy to discuss at home. I also would write to the governors and get other parents together to try to improve safe guarding in the school as it appears to be failing.