Non-binary teacher?

[Thompson198]

Name change.
I’ve got a 5 year old daughter due to go into year 2 in September. We’ve just been told that the teacher for next year is a non-binary/‘non-gender-conforming’ man who wants to be referred to by ‘Mx’ (pronounced mix) and they/them pronouns.
Quite a few of the parents have already complained and started looking for other places at local schools because of this.
what do you think?
My daughter has SEN and is one of the youngest in her class, I worry how she’s going to be able to keep up with the pronouns and understand this without us having to teach her about gender ideology at her age. My husband is extremely against teaching her gender ideology, especially so young, I’m not the most positive about it either but don’t feel as strongly as him. He also doesn’t want her being at the school in September but they have been very supportive for her so far and I’m concerned it might not be the same elsewhere.
Thoughts? How would you feel if this was your child’s teacher?

No I wouldn't because my experience of them has been different.

but thanks for the strawman.

And "Teachers of colour" how racist.

I assumed the children hadn't been told? My mistake!

I would want written assurance from the school that the new teacher would not be teaching any gender ideology nonsense. No references at all. Just that this is his preferred name. And if he gets called Mr instead by children or parents then it's no big deal, no one would get into trouble.

I think I'd be fine with it otherwise.

Sounds to me as though she’s doing her job properly. People telling children untruths about their sex opens up all sorts of possible safeguarding issues.

The teacher thinks gender is very important, actually, he just thinks he can flit between them on a whim. If he didn't think gender was very important he would just be a man with a personality.

I think gender is regressive bullshit, and this whole trans/non-binary crap is reinforcing it, not smashing it.

I don't think about people's sex when I am talking to them, it's just blindingly obvious, and the language I use to and about them flows naturally as a result.

I’m autistic, using wrong sex pronouns is a lie which I struggle to do. If faced with it I shut down. I’m pretty sure that as a disabled adult I have a right to not have to buy into such an obviously harmful ideology that grooms children.

Everyone has a right to live their lives as they wish, no one has the right to dictate how someone refers to them or thinks about them.

The whole thing is such a big victim mentality mess.

“"Is Mx a boy or a girl?" "I'm not sure, sweetheart. We don’t know”

Dear Lord, I’ve heard it all now… 🤣
You do know. You choose to gaslight your child

We do know that there’re two sexes - male and female.

Being a doctor/professor or having a gender neutral name doesn't go against a person having a sex though.

Is Mx a boy or a girl?" "I'm not sure, sweetheart. We don’t know”

I think that would be a terrible thing to tell a 6yo. Who then might believe you and start worrying about whether they were really a boy/girl because after all sometimes "we don't know". Bonkers!!!!!

Do you think it is not harmful to pretend to your kids that some men are not really men?

Dont see the issue. Tell her to call them mix instead of Mr. Tell her that's what they like to be called. End of conversation. Judge this person on their teaching.

The parents have been told.

“Is x a boy now?”

So you lied to your children?

Why would they be. That's not what non binary means

Yes this - hadn't thought of it like this but yesssss.

End of conversation? Because six-year-olds never ask tons of questions about why they have to do something.

Do what you like in your free time but a primary school is no place for this rubbish

I think you're choosing to view this in the harshest possible way. 'Gaslighting' has very negative and harmful connotations.

I truly don't see how a six-year-old will be negatively impacted or damaged by being told that someone's title is Mx. I see no harm in explaining that some people don't feel like a boy or a girl and so we use they instead of he or she.

It's not propaganda or gaslighting or anything like it to say that people's beliefs are different but unless it's harmful or dangerous, the kind thing to do is respect it.

I don't believe a lot of what most religions teach. I don't take it personally or see it as inherently evil if someone believes in a god that I don't think is real. It's not harming me, therefore tolerance is perfectly acceptable.

If my kid asked me I’d say “it’s a silly man in a dress”

I don't think it would make her question her gender identity. It certainly didn't with my children or, as far as I know, any of the other children in their classes but this is all anecdotal. It's just what worked for us. Sometimes if someone is quite androgenous, we don't know if they're male or female. What's wrong with saying that?

Teachers who have a PhD are still also called Sir, Miss. in my experience all female teachers are called Miss regardless of marital status.

Someone mentioned a DBS (I’m not suggesting this teacher has done anything) but all it means is the person has no convictions. A local teacher was having a relationship with a 14 year old student, he had a DBS. It’s why you also have to have strict safeguarding procedures.

Anyone can call themselves what they want, they can pick pronouns blah blah. You cannot make anyone else take part in that. It’s not disrespectful, it’s choice.

I don't get your point, sorry? I've never had an issue with telling my children 'I don't know' in answer to lots of their questions.

It depends. I would be very wary.

My secondary school age child has a teacher who is a gay man. He uses Mx now (was originally Mr). I don't quite see why he feels the need to use Mx when he is clearly male. He is however, an excellent teacher and is very professional. I'm pretty sure the kids still use Mr as Mx is odd to pronounce.

An unknown teacher in a primary school would concern me though. I have a neurodiverse child who has been heavily influenced by the trans community. I am very wary of any unknown adult who is non binary or trans etc having unrestricted influence on children. However, it was a lesbian female teacher who told my SEN child that they had been born in the wrong body. A statement that has caused untold damage.

Religion is taught as a theory, and is also taught against other religions.
Gender ideology (until recently) has been taught as fact with no counter argument being allowed.

It also gets very complex and whether it should be taught at all is still being discussed.

You have a misplaced trust in the robustness of DBS system.

This has been fatally undermined by allowing men to erase their criminal past by utilising a special trans extra private ‘checking’ and to gain false birth certificates unlinking their previous names from the present.

The government have admitted they know about this glaring issue yet have not afterward it. I’m guessing they are just waiting until something goes wrong and someone is badly harmed.