To think suspending the teacher was extreme?

[LouBlue1507]

A maths teacher has been suspended, probably going to be sacked for accidently calling a trans child a girl whilst referring 'well done girls' to a small group of girls. He apologised for his mistake, but weeks later the parents complained.

I don't think he's helped himself by going to the press and 'This Morning' but for a class of pupils to lose a good teacher over this?

It's obvious that the majority of teachers need training on transgender, gender fluid etc. It's not fair that they are thrown in the deep end with no training what so ever. I bet most don't even know what half of it even means!

Why can he not just use the pupils' name
Because he wanted to make a point to this child about his religious views. aka bullying/abuse

Reanimated But not calling a child by their desired pronoun is not persecution as such. Being denied a job for being trans or being beated up for being trans would be persecution. I think it is sad that the child's feelings were hurt but persecution is a strong word.

I think it is sad that the child's feelings were hurt but persecution is a strong word

It's singling a kid out in a class who is different and making them feel uncomfortable - along with all the ramifications of that.

Julie Then he should have used all the pupils names is what I meant. He was wrong to single the child out but he could have avoided that mistake by avoiding pronouns for all he kids.

he is entitled to his personal beliefs but he was not wise how he expressed them. If I had been in his shoes I would just avoid pronouns altogether and treat all the kids the same. I would not acknowledge that the child was different in any way. Kids hate being treated like they are different

sagmartha I agree he is wrong to have treated the child differently. I do not think teachers should do that. But I remember children at my school being singled out by teachers unfairly for having learning difficulties and I remember teachers allowing children to be bullied for having red hair or for being overweight. Sadly teachers do this all the time.

So it is ok to call dc a girl even though he was born a boy and identifies as a boy.

But to call a girl a boy because they identify as a boy is sackable?

But I remember children at my school being singled out by teachers unfairly for having learning difficulties and I remember teachers allowing children to be bullied for having red hair or for being overweight. Sadly teachers do this all the time

And they should face consequences for singling pupils out.

oliversmumsarmy I know, I cannot get my head round that one? The teacher made a mistake, a silly mistake. Suspending him is an over the top reaction IMO. What about the other kids in the class? They have lost a good teacher. Why shoudl the rights of one child trump the rest??

Sagmartha If they did it intentionally, they should. I though tthis was the case here too, then i reda the OP again and it seems it was an accident? Or maybe the news has twisted the truth?

I know, I cannot get my head round that one? The teacher made a mistake, a silly mistake

Are you talking about the case in the OP or a different case?

A mistake should not be punished. But if it's deliberately done, then that raises questions.

I though tthis was the case here too, then i reda the OP again and it seems it was an accident

It seems that the teacher has refused to use the preferred pronoun - and instead has decided just to use the child's name when referring to him.

But that was hidden in the story.

I mean the case in the OP. sagamartha

Hopefully the child will learn to hold their head up high and not to see themself as a victim. I know how destructive that way of thinking can be. Hope there aren't any negative repercussions from his classmates as a result. That could make him feel worse.

sagamartha Oh, I see. Well, I hope the family can move forward and put this behind them. Sadly in life we all have to face people making unkind comments. As a disabled obese person I have learned ho whard it is to brush them off sometimes.

I guess I feel the parents could be making things worse for the child if they are going to the press with this. Whatever happened to teaching our kids self esteem and to rise above nasty comments?

I guess I feel the parents could be making things worse for the child if they are going to the press with thi

I think it was the teacher who went to the press. Not the parents.

I say press. I really meant the Daily Mail.

Julie8008
Because he wanted to make a point to this child about his religious views. aka bullying/abuse

but you have decided this, You don't know how he refers to other children.

You don't know how he refers to other children

Didn't he say that he didn't want to refer to this child using their preferred pronoun so took the decision to refer to them by their first name in conversation?

He might well refer to all children by their first name whenever he refers to them

Or he might just do it for this individual.

sagamartha Ah, I see. The Daily Fail? That explains everything. Gutter rag. Well known for it's lies and distortions and love of stirring the poo.

BoneyBack Well, whether he did refer to them all that way or not the Daily Fucker (I mean Mail) won't tell us. Just like them to be deliberately vague in order to create a scandal.

If he saw a group of boys mucking around - including this child - and said "Boys and Sam*, stop mucking around", then there would be issues if Sam preferred to be known as a boy and the teacher knew that and deliberately chose to differentiate.

If he said "You lot, stop mucking around" , then there's a difference.

*Sam is a made up name.

He might well refer to all children by their first name whenever he refers to them hmm

Or he might just do it for this individual.

And again we don't know, and if he is referring to the child by their chosen (male) name it is surely difficult to say that he is mis-gendering the child as he is referring to them as a male.

And again we don't know, and if he is referring to the child by their chosen (male) name it is surely difficult to say that he is mis-gendering the child as he is referring to them as a male

Depends on the context.

"Well done boys, well done Sam"

Is Sam being included as 'one of the boys' or being marked out for a special well done - or could someone be marking Sam out as not one of the boys?

And again we don't know, and if he is referring to the child by their chosen (male) name it is surely difficult to say that he is mis-gendering the child as he is referring to them as a male

Not misgendering. But treating them differently to the other pupils because of personal prejudices. And teachers shouldn't do that. As was explained up thread.

I am sure you keep your prejudices to yourself in the classroom and act as a professional.

We only know the context of the one example given anything else is conjecture.