Am I overreacting to this teacher’s comment?

[queenkettricken]

I’ll start by saying that I’m a teacher myself -primary. My daughter is in year 7 at high school and today her personal development teacher was talking about stereotypes. He mentioned the stereotype that English women go abroad on holiday, get really drunk and sleep with lots of men.

I’m shocked by the reference to sleeping with lots of people and want to email the school but honestly don’t know if I’m overreacting. I teach in UKS2 and cannot imagine touching on this subject even at the very end of year 6.

Should I accept that this is high school and that stuff like this is ok? Or am I right to be shocked that my 11 year is being exposed to this.

I wonder whether it may have been part of a structured lesson on stereotypes, where pupils are encouraged to identify examples so they can then unpick why they’re harmful. Quite often in PSHE, teachers will use real world stereotypes precisely so they can challenge them.

It might be worth checking the school website or curriculum overview to see the lesson in context before assuming it was being presented as fact. The whole purpose of teaching about stereotypes is usually to reinforce how damaging and unfair they can be.

Have a peek at the stereotyping lessons on the TES.

Let me guess? ….the creepy male teacher stereotype wasn’t discussed was it? Wonder why…..

No YANBU. Email the school

It is an excellent example of a stereotype. He isnt promoting this behaviour. He is using it as an example.
I certainly wouldnt complain. On what grounds?The mention of sex?Nothing wrong with tbat. Part of the stereotype.

Hands up who had a creepy male teacher at school!

Every female I know has a story about a male high school teacher. Every one.

But……was that stereotype discussed? Should that be discussed? Ask him

This thread is bonkers. Teaching kids about stereotypes and why they are wrong and often harmful is an important lesson. They won’t learn to challenge stereotypes instead of automatically believing them if they aren’t taught about them.

Your daughter is crying because a teacher said something she didn’t like… really??? Do children these days expect to go through life never hearing anything remotely challenging or uncomfortable?

The fact that she doesn’t like the stereotype should be an opportunity to reflect on why it makes her uncomfortable and how the women who it has been applied to in the past might have felt. It’s a chance to develop empathy and understand how lazy generalisations cause harm, and how we can go about challenging them and making the world a better place for women. Developing critical appraisal skills is so important in this day and age, as is the resilience to tackle difficult situations.

But ok, let’s all just complain, get the teacher fired and teach our kids that if anyone says something we don’t like we should just get them cancelled so we can stay in our little safe bubble. Then wonder why they all end up as self-centred young adults unable to cope in the workplace and struggling with mental health issues.

Agree that you're being awfully pearl clutchy.

Over the next few years your kid is going to have to look at a slide show of venereal diseases.

There might even be a condom on a banana moment.

Time to let go of the primary mentality.

I feel the same. It is far too random for her to have made up. So random that it actually wasn’t necessary. There are soooooo many stereotypes that aren’t linked to sex. I’ve thought about this post all day, I think this teacher is so far out of line it’s unreal. I am so very shocked by the people that think it’s okay.

But if it's discussing stereotypes then that's the point isnt it....the teacher is pointing out the misogyny , not being misogynistic themself. .

British people love to queue.
Boys don’t listen as attentively as girls.
There are sooooooo many stereotypes that he could have used that didn’t involve sex.

She doesn’t, I can assure you. She’s not in year 7 anyway. To my knowledge she’s not had any sex education yet

If she's in school in England then you are either blinkered, wrong, or the school have acted illegally.

11yos need to know about ex to protect themselves from being exploited.

It was inappropriate, he could have used many examples of stereotypes and then discussed why they’re wrong .
Eg all English tourists sit in the sun on holiday until they resemble cooked lobsters 🦞

I don’t see the problem?

'telling' good grief... not saying this is your fault, but she needs a VERY serious conversation about why 'telling' on male teachers in a position of power is vital, because automatically thinking it's wrong, or going to get her into trouble is a very concerning attitude for her to have.

He wasn't saying having lots of sex and drinking is negative ffs

The negative was that this was a stereotype being applied to all British women

This!! You have got completely the wrong end of the stick and complaining about it would be daft!

They say a lot more than that and behave even worse.

I'd imagine if you report to the school it will because good way to ensure your daughter stops sharing any concerns with you.

So race and disability are OK to mention negative stereotypes but gender isn't?

My "creepy male teacher" was because he threatened violence against half the class, including the boys

Not every woman has a creepy male pervert story

That is a stereotype in itself

I think we were 13 when the PHSE teacher (who was also the PE teacher) told us to write down any questions about sex and pop them in the box and she'd try and answer them

I remember a lesson in year 12 about branding and the older (had to be heading towards retirement) male teacher went on about "you girls will walk around in tight tshirts with PORN written above a glittery star" 🤮

I just think you’re lucky your kids tell you what they learnt. Mine always say they can’t remember! Not the point of the thread but hey ho

Frankly that's a failing on your behalf tbh

A very basic sex ed is essential to protecting children from harm

Exactly this