School Curriculum - A personal win

InterestingUsernameTBC - it's amazing how much vitriol responsible adults get when they insist on schools acting responsibly and in the interests of all children. It's a real worry how much attention is given to those pushing science / fact denying fantasies and regressive views that harm women and children.

Yes there was a screenshot of the OP with much squeeking and wailing.

What thread @KittensNotMittens please? A thread about this specific MN thread?

Resources are drawn heavily from Transgender Trend. It is made clear that not everyone believes in, or considers they have, a gender identity. Cis and queer will be taught as controversial terms which should not be applied to others. Gender will be taught as social and cultural expectations placed on individuals because of their sex. Gender identity will not be casually slipped into other subjects as impartiality on the subject will be impressed on all subject teachers.

Oh this makes my 2nd waver Women's Libber heart happy! Particularly this: Gender will be taught as social and cultural expectations placed on individuals because of their sex.

All children, and particularly girls, need to know this.

Thank you for letting us know. It gives me a speck of hope.

Absolutely agree. I'm in awe and thankful to our sisters in the UK for stepping forward, laying the groundwork and developing resources for us to use when our time comes!

Thread sorry - typing is dreadful. There wasn’t threats (more than the usual whinging)

What threat?

I saw this threat on twitter. Much soiling of underwear.

Skittles4Tea · Today 07:50
This is great.

I’m a Safeguarding Lead on a secondary school. My school has been ahead of the game on this as we have a couple of vocal teachers (and me!) and a Headteacher who listens

Our PHSCE Lead was initially totally captured and very defensive when the curriculum was challenged, but as a pp says, once alternative resources were signposted he started to come around.

I’d encourage anyone who feels strongly about this to include not only the Headteacher and PHSCE Lead in your communications, but also the DSL. It’s very difficult for a competent DSL to ignore the blatant safeguarding risks involved in self ID, for example.

I’m also part of a network of DSLs in my borough. We share resources, discuss issues etc and this issue is on the agenda currently (London borough). Things ARE changing. It’s slow and painful, but our voices are starting to be heard and have impact

Another encouraging example when it seemed hopeless. What a relief that some schools are beginning to understand the problems of adopting ‘gender identity’ ideology.

It would be good if there could be a list of schools like yours and the OP’s.

Excuse typos and poor grammar! Typing on phone.

This is great.

I’m a Safeguarding Lead on a secondary school. My school has been ahead of the game on this as we have a couple of vocal teachers (and me!) and a Headteacher who listens.

Our PHSCE Lead was initially totally captured and very defensive when the curriculum was challenged, but as a pp says, once alternative resources were signposted he started to come around.

I’d encourage anyone who feels strongly about this to include not only the Headteacher and PHSCE Lead in your communications, but also the DSL. It’s very difficult for a competent DSL to ignore the blatant safeguarding risks involved in self ID, for example.

I’m also part of a network of DSLs in my borough. We share resources, discuss issues etc and this issue is on the agenda currently (London borough). Things ARE changing. It’s slow and painful, but our voices are starting to be heard and have impact.

InterestingUsernameTBC · Yesterday 13:09
Thanks for all the congratulations everyone on this thread.

And thanks for the questions DameMaud.

The thing that made the most difference was finally getting to speak with the head of the PSHE curriculum. Before that it was the deputy head who was a bit a stumped when I challenged his assertion that he was male and identified as a man. I asked if he did indeed identify as a man or if he just understood that a male person is a man. And the other representative was the mental health lead who was very concerned about the 40% suicide stat peddled by Stonewall and was quite happy to talk to young people about transition being an option.

The PSHE lead was very interested in what I had to say, noted down all the resources I referred to and from subsequent conversations actually seems to have followed them up.

Things that I relied on were:

The Forstater judgement to show that non-belief in gender identity is protected. I shared my non-belief and I pointed out that they need to protect pupils who don't believe too. (Alison Bailey judgement wasn't out at this point)

Stephanie Davies-Arai being awarded British Empire Medal for services for children. Made it super easy to recommend Transgender Trend for resources.

Detrans Voices for stories from detransitioners.

+Pointing out the safeguarding issue with children being encouraged to use opposite sex pronouns and the impact that has on parents/carers when risk assessing activities with friends like sleepovers or hanging out at the park. I could see this register with the deputy head, like a light switched on*.

The new NHS guidelines were not available when I spoke with the school but the PSHE lead had looked that up independently. That's where his decision to not transition anyone in school came from.

And I updated him on the Mermaids scandal to warn off signposting there.

There's loads of good stuff to refer to now

Thank you for letting us know the resources you used to influence this school’s change of approach.

Would anyone be interested in signing this petition to stop ‘gender identity’ ideology getting more entrenched in schools?

look up
petition.parliament.uk
Remove references to 'gender identity' from relationships education guidance

My heartiest of congratulations to you, @InterestingUsernameTBC !!!

Well done on your tenacity. I think a lot of your success came from providing alternative resources (we all know how busy teachers are), finding the ear of a receptive PSHE lead, and following up, following up and following up.

And to have done it by yourself is indeed impressive.

You star. Thank you for doing this and giving us a guide to use with other schools.

I’ve tried with my DC school and was shot down. This was some time ago and I didn’t feel strong enough to go back in there. Now there is so much information though. It is deeply ingrained at the school though.

That is a real achievement. Well done, it is so difficult to do what you have.

Im missing lessons for the pshe strands on lgb and t. Do you have a link to the transgender trend lessons? That would really save me a job! Im carefully peaking some people at school but my god it isnt easy!

Excellent work OP!

👏👏👏

Great news and a highly effective and pertinent question. Well done OP.

Well done OP and thank you for letting us all know. Hopefully valuable to other parents.

More congratulations OP. Once teachers are liberated to be able to think about this ideology, to understand the massive safeguarding risks to children & get some facts about the grim nature some of the adults pushing this, they realise what's happening.
Very well done.

Brilliant, well done @InterestingUsernameTBC My fear is that Northern Ireland are years behind the rest of GB and this will be a battle for me in the future. Gives me hope.