Should a 6 year old be taught that it’s normal to be trans, in a PSHE lesson?

Parents should have oversight for what their kids are being taught in relation to pshe.
When I was chair of governors I insisted that all the governors had sight of the PHSE materials before they got anywhere near the children or parents. We were sanctioning the purchase of the materials and very aware of our responsibilities to the children and to parents. None of this sort of stuff would have got past us.

*TransParentlyAnnoyed ... I *am all for tolerance and kindness ... I have a trans GC .... but schools have a responsibility to teach biological truth alongside kindness and to resist lobbying from interest groups. And they have guidelines to follow which in this instance are being breached.

*Exploration of who you are, and being intrigued about gender, are common - but that's not what being trans is.”

What do you think being trans is @TransParentlyAnnoyed?

Presumably your child and you believe in gender identities? But hopefully you are also both accepting that this is a contested belief system and that no one else is obliged to share that belief?

Happy to help, and I'm sure you'll have a great time together. No girl is too young to learn to embrace feminism or the different ways girls can express themselves. I think confidence and pride in being female are very important.

I don't agree that being trans is contagious or can be taught, however. Exploration of who you are, and being intrigued about gender, are common - but that's not what being trans is.

i welcome the book and others because children need to be taught not to discriminate against trans people, and that has to start at a young age. Lots of trans people are also parents, and such discrimination affects their children.

When my son first came out, I talked to him were extensively about feminism, gender, the different ways of being a woman and the origin of his knowing he was trans. Basically he knew at a very young age but felt more confident coming out later. He didn't learn it from anyone, and was the sole trans boy in a big school.

I understand your fears, but no one is converted to being L, G, B or T by a book - just encouraged to be tolerant, accepting and respectful of difference.

I really hope learning about taking pride in being female strengthens your relationship and that you eventually see this book as a starting-point of a fantastic journey together. I loved doing that with my son and we're still having conversations about feminism today.

Ya, I don't blame you. It does feel unnecessary to teach it so young. I'm not particularly anti trans, each to their own but It seems a bit unnecessary for that age. Only around 1 percent of the population is trans too. Hi lighting other minorities instead could be more beneficial for that age, like children with asthma etc.

I think it’s similar to self harm - teach it and because they know about it as an option they are more likely to experiment with it as children. My daughter thank goodness said she wasn’t going to self harm again because it didn’t help. Had she not received teaching about it aged 10 I’m quite certain it wouldn’t have entered her head.

Wouldn’t it be great if schools spent the timetable time teaching foreign language to a higher level or history rather than this stuff?

I think that is absolutely outrageous OP and I would be straight down the school.
They’re 6, for heavens sake. No need whatsoever to be confusing them like this. I cannot stand the trans lobby - they are just loud entitled sexist men.

That said, there is a National Curriculum so someone will be able to tell you whether this is expected at this age or not.

Our secondary school recently shared DfE guidance on trans teaching which is not to suggest that changing sex is a straightforward or easy option.

Hi,

I'm the mum of a trans boy. If someone isn't serious about transition, then life and school is hell.

There's a huge difference between actually wanting to change gender, cosplaying being a boy and simply wanting the freedoms cis boys have.

Actual transitioning - though essentially a new name and haircut for the vast majority - is a serious step involving a lot of school planning, and preparation for the violence involved. No one does it if they aren't serious.

I'd talk to her about this difference, make sure she knows how incredible girls are, and then just let it go. Never too early to drill them on feminism, how awesome women are and the rest.

Declaring a gender change at school and among a friendship group is a major deal, because both cis boys and girls punish it. It's more dangerous to be trans than gay at school.

No book can teach being trans, just acceptance. Talk to her!

It's vastly unlikely she is trans, but tread carefully just in case she is. Condemning trans people may stop her talking to you on this subject forever.

Hope you have fun discussing how amazing girls are. Maybe add that trans people are too and that's okay. She will think you're amazing too, and learn a lot.

I second a face to face tomorrow. I much prefer to see the whites of their eyes rather than a waffling email. Friendly ambush is often better. I'd even wait in Reception if HT is 'in a meeting '.
You can always send an email after the meeting, summarising what was discussed, if you want a paper trail.

I think your husband’s suggestion is totally fair, school need to know that they have gone badly astray here.

I thought love is love was about sexuality, not gender. I could be wrong!

OMG!

I would approach this with the H/T as a Parent Governor. You are concerned that the school which you are jointly responsible for is not following the DfE policy. You know this because your daughter told you about the books that the TA had been reading with the class recently. If you don't get the response you are looking for, approach the Chair of Govs and, if necessary, the MAT/LA/OFSTED.

And if you don't get a sensible response from the governors, go to the education authority or MAT, asking for their policy on protecting small children from disputed trans ideology, in writing.

Then go to your solicitor.

I am so glad my ds has finished school, and knows this claptrap for what it is.

I would not be happy about this.

I just had a look.
Ugh! The fake, saccharin voice of the first reader! How sweet, how kind, how righteous, how loving of children.

Then to follow, the sheer stupidity of the book is hard to believe.

Using it to trans children aside, this is a book about how to help children become incapable of reasonable thought.

As a society we should teach our children to live and let live, and that minorities should be protected from discrimination and hate. Hand in hand with that is the understanding that delicate and nuanced conversations around gender, sexuality and identity should be had in an age appropriate and considered manner. It sounds like the teacher has gone a bit off track with best intentions, it isn’t age or setting appropriate and actually goes far too in depth. Parents should have oversight for what their kids are being taught in relation to pshe.

As an aside, by the way, because she was cancelled for no reason and it is so very unfair, Rachel Rooney has also written some first-rate poetry books for children (age 8 +?)

So it was not even incidental.
The fact there is a whole list like that means the school has decided to specifically indoctrinate very young children with trans beliefs.

It could not be worse. What else are they doing at this school? What sort of warped minds are running the school that getting small children to know about Transgenderism means so much to them? They must also realise that many (?or do you live in Brighton or Wales) parents would not agree so basically they have stamped all over them.

I bet they don’t even read as many books for English.

They know it is wrong, so are hoping it will fly below the radar. As soon as schools do this with young, impressionable children, it is in my opinion, child abuse.

Do you know what other parents of children in her class thought?

The school has done something egregiously wrong.

I think they didn't see it as problematic as they're that indoctrinated, or they didn't think the parents would find out. Perhaps they were working from the 'it's better to beg forgiveness than ask permission' school of thought?

I'd go ballistic. You can't unhinged the trans bell at such an impressionable age. They'll have left some parents with an almighty mess to clear up. Parents whose children might be vulnerable to this may already have enough to deal with. The children whose parents are vulnerable to this? I hate to think.