To ask the school... WTF

[bookeatingboy]

DS came home yesterday with a payment card for his first residential trip next year. The cards were blue and apparently all the girls got pink cards!

Some of the girls asked for blue cards and were told that blue is for the boys and pink for the girls

"On the other, far more likely hand, it could be a harmless case of just blue and pink cards in this instance"

So just by pure coincidence, they happened to have blue and pink cards, and randomly allocated the blue to boys and the pink to girls?

Occam's Razor, people!

"not the terrible calamity it is being portrayed"

Nobody is portraying it as a terrible calamity. Why on earth do you persist in the hyperbole?

And of course it could be a written off as a misguided error- but obviously worth mentioning so that the same misguided error didn't happen again.

itsmine, it doesn't matter what the school is like in other ways. That they have done this then underlines all the other ways that the whole world uses colour/gender to the children. It makes it more normal that Asda, say, has girls' clothes in pink only, or that all the toys in the local toyshop are blue for boys, etc. It happened in school so it's all right.

If the school were using it as an exercise for the children to see what other things they find which are pink for girls/blue for boys, and it's the basis for a project on equality, then they're OK. Otherwise not.

Hands up - I guess I'm a gender stereotyper. I've told my DS it he bottle flips his water bottle again and it breaks then he will have to go to school with a Disney princess pink water bottle. It will ensure he doesn't bottle flip again for sure.

I really think you guys are overthinking this. I don't need anything 'explaining'. It's colours FGS!

I can't believe the school printed the cards on different colours for fun - it makes a simple job more complicated, so they must have had a reason for differentiating, especially as coloured card costs more than white.

Busy "Hands up - I guess I'm a gender stereotyper. I've told my DS it he bottle flips his water bottle again and it breaks then he will have to go to school with a Disney princess pink water bottle. It will ensure he doesn't bottle flip again for sure."

And it worked as a tactic because?

Busy- can I ask why you think that worked as a tactic? I only asked if you'd like me to explain my position because you said you couldn't see why anyone would think it was an issue. Of course fine if you don't.

Cus he wouldn't want a Disney princess bottle. Any more than I would like one with power rangers on.

I think its very dangerius. Simeone who isnt given a blue card will never be, say an engineer, professional footvaller, or builder, and those who dont get a pink card will struggle to collaborate in teams, organise diaries and look pretty.

It would be better to have the colours the orher way arlund to address the inherent inabilities in either gender.

Crazy. Complain. My daughter's favourite colour is blue - doesn't even like pink - and she's had hassle from kids and a teacher (not hers) when she said her birthday present was her room being done up inc new blue walls. Boys in her class laughed at her and said she must be boy then. Seriously it's a colour. She can stand up to that but she was hurt it was even issue.
And 100 years ago it used to beother way round too

Scaryclown - OMG that's probably someone's real opinion on here!!!!!

If the girls who asked for blue cards were told they must have pink, then it was sex stereotyping in a very basic way. I wouldn't like it either. I see it as unhelpful to teach children that girls & boys must be classified by such things as colour - it lays the ground for more damaging classifications by sex, like abilities & achievements.

It's wrong to assign colour to gender, same way as it's wrong to say there are boys toys and girl toys. I don't think I really understand what these cards are and what they are for? Can someone explain?

Agreed Garlic

I wouldn't even think about it ... obviously that's a terrible thing although I don't think so

Okay, I will admit I haven't RTFT but who has time for that?! I would be annoyed. As a mother of a gender fluid child struggling to fit in and find his way I would want/expect schools to be more sensitive to this, but I know my school would be on top of this...

Classic mumsnet. Be glad your children have access to free education and get a grip. Jeez.

Omg . Boys are different to girls. Girls different to boys and I am old enough to know you could treat a boy as a girl and he would still use his body before his brain until he gets older. Second thoughts. Lets stereotype. We are different. Just give either sex confidence and let them feel good about themselves. Pink and blue is semantics. I think the schools have enough to think about. Why don't you respect their decision.

Sound. I feel it's not about colours. It's about acceptance and kindness. Lots of children feel not accepted for all sorts of reasons.

Hmm yeah BuzyBeez - that kind of attitude is what makes life so difficult for kids who don't just like the stuff they're 'supposed' to.

Yes falange it's wonderful that our children have access to a 'free' education. However it has to be a good education, stereotyping and sexism should not feature. Haven't you seen all the headlines lately about the gender pay gap? I'm not saying pink and blue cards are the cause, but they are an indication of how the school may think. It might be nothing. But if it is, and no one raises it with the school now, it may continue, such as teaching girls how to cook and sow and boys how to build and design and not allowing the other sex to participate. It's a warning light which must be addressed now. Doesn't have to be a complaint, just simply asking why and debating the answer if required. Our school are fantastic with this sort of thing. I sit on the Parent council and if anything like this were to happen I would absolutely raise it with the HT. Our school are all about equity and equality and this most definitely falls under that.