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.

Exactly. He could have easily stayed on safer ground, although it is an intrinsically risky area. All teenagers are lazy? Geography teachers are boring? Politicians are liars? I’m not a teacher and I’ve thought of three better ones right there. Terrible teaching and it definitely warrants raising politely with the school.

For those who think it’s all fine, a question.

What would you think of him using ‘black men father lots of children by different mothers’. A stereotype? Tick. Offensive? Tick. Brings sex into it? Tick. So rather like the example he used. Would that be ok? If not, why not?

Unless you were in the lesson how do you know he went directly to that stereotype?

If you were in the lesson please expand on what else was said.

The only thing we know is that at some point in the lesson this was mentioned.

I don't think talking to 11 year olds about stereotypes is useful in the first place, and relying on sexual stereotypes is either lazy or creepy or both.

So

any update from school ?

Why shouldn’t teachers to talk 11 year olds about stereotypes?

What concerns me about what was said is that it missed a good learning opportunity. The children would have learned more if they’d been put in groups, asked to look at pictures and read descriptions, then say what they thought those people would be like. Then discuss these examples as a class. Then look at the assumptions they make in their own life.

But as usual in most schools, teaching was being done to the children rather than the children being enabled to learn. That would also, of course have meant that the teacher would have done far less talking and the children would do far more thinking.

How do you know what else happened in the lesson?

You appear to have a stereotype of how lessons go and have just decided that is what happened.

So he’s basically saying English women are slags. English women are made up of hundreds of ethnicities. is he implying all ethnicities of English women are slags or just certain ones? What ethnicity is he? I’d find it strange if he was implying his own ethnic women were slags. I don’t know what the context of this comment was made, but it’s clearly very unprofessional if not racist and misogynist. I would not be happy about this comment at all, but your daughter clearly believes he would retaliate. You’re in a difficult position OP.

Even if it is a stereotype and not just a nasty misogynistic comment about wormen, it is NOT appropriate subject matter for an 11 year old child. IMO that teacher is a creep and a pervert

Because it isn't very helpful- developing critical thinking is a process which takes years introducing ideas about stereotyping too early will just confuse, and be counterproductive. This kind of teaching is trying to achieve a certain mindset ,rather than teach children to think for themselves.

Go on email the school, don't forget to copy the head and the chair of governors and demand that he is sacked for this. If you really push it you could get him put on some sort of register so that he's banned from teaching permanently.

Completely agree!

Maybe he was hoping to prompt a discussion, that students might argue with him about whether it is valid or not? Debate and critical thinking is skill. I doubt he wanted or expected the kids to nod in agreement.

I think it’s example of stereotyping to open up a discussion
look at the discussion it’s caused on here

bet it got them all talking and contributing

Why didn’t he use an all Jewish people are rich stereotype? Or all Asians are doctors? Or all blacks carry out knife crime? Or all Irish men are drunks? These are stereotypes. They’re not my views. He could’ve discussed them too, according to your viewpoint. But he chose British women getting drunk and having sex. Why?

Are you using a stereotype there?

I've reported this comment

Because the examples you give wouldn’t of grab the kids attention the same there’s no shock factor
what a great opportunity to address it and discuss the inaccuracies, the impact and why it’s inappropriate

We've actually got no idea if he used some of those stereotypes or not. All we know is one he mentioned - it could have been the only one or one of 10. The class may have been asked to think of some as well. I doubt it was an entire season on just one stereotype.