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.

The WHOLE POINT of a lesson about stereotypes is to explore why stereotypes are wrong, unfair, ignorant and prejudiced! You can’t teach kids about stereotypes without mentioning negative/unfair/offensive ones as examples.

When I was 12 - so around the same age as the OP’s DD - I went on a school trip to Spain where some Spanish girls our age referenced that exact stereotype about British women and we all argued with them and told them why it wasn’t fair. I’m sure the kids in the OP’s DD’s class are perfectly capable of doing the same, and that’s how kids learn to think critically and make rational arguments.

Absolutely baffled by this. Secondary teacher here. The entire point is that it's an outrageous thing to say - that's the reason for using it as an example to show that stereotypes are bad and incorrect. It helps to get students to share their opinions. Young people have a strong sense of injustice, so this is a much better way of engaging them in a potentially dry topic where it would be easy to lecture them.

I echo a PP - this is why teachers are leaving the job. Totally naive to think high school kids would be shocked by this. Leave the poor guy alone to do his bloody job.

Not an age appropriate comment (Year 7 are 10 and 11 year olds) at all.

I would be raising it. Red flags all over the place if he thought that was in the ballpark of reasonable.

So in a lesson about the danger of harmful stereotypes a teacher gave an example of a harmful stereotype to demonstrate the depth of feeling and upset a harmful stereotype can cause. And presumably he used one that might upset some of his audience in order to really hammer the message home. (And do we know if that was the only one he used?) And now he’s being called a misogynist twat and you’re thinking about making a complaint rather than reinforce the message that stereotypes are unpleasant, unfair and can cause real harm. Who would be a teacher?

I mean... I wouldn't say that to a y7 class. But the comments saying 'He's being sexist and perpetuating stereotypes' are a bit ridiculous if he was pointing out that they are stereotypes and that's what the lesson/discussion was about. It's not easy to discuss stereotypes without referring to any stereotypes, though I admit I wouldn't have chosen that one.

They are 11 and 12 year-olds.

It’s a lesson about the dangers associated with stereotypes. He gave an example of a bad stereotype. Sounds like he got the point and many of you didn’t.

Exactly this.

Yeah that’s weird and inappropriate.

Yup

It is definitely a stereotype about young English women.

I was under the impression that sex was only taught at a basic biological level until Y9? I wouldn't be happy for my 11yo to be exposed to this particular discussion. As PP has mentioned there are other appropriate examples he could have used. I would check the schools PSHE framework to reference in your complaint.

I've been a PSHRE lead in the past. Completely not appropriate. Fair enough if a kid volunteered that to address and challenge using appropriate language but to throw it out there? Totally unnecessary. If one of my dept members was responsible for that I would be mortified and need to approach it. Not sure how as thankfully I never ended up in that situation!

But of course you are going to explore hurtful and harmful stereotypes in a lesson about stereotypes and why they can be damaging! Interested to know which ones would be ok to use?

Would I have chosen that one? Probably not.
Do I carefully plan and script every single example that come out of my mouth in every hour of every lesson? No. Have I ever used an example and then afterwards thought that I probably shouldn’t have used that example when teaching a tricky topic? yes. Would it have been helpful if a parent had emailed me to tell me? Maybe? I’d be pretty embarrassed and wouldn’t use that example again though!

Especially if it’s Chaucer! The nether yea in the Canterbury Tales…

Agree. Of course hes being misogynistic and schools are supposed to be challneging incels and misogyny, not feeding it! There are sadly still a few male teachers that use misogyny as a quick way to build rapport with the disruptive boys.

You're in an awkward situation though as of course she's going to be mortified and worried if you complain.
I've actually done an anonymous complaint to school before (from an email address I don't use much that isn't my name) but that's a bit of a hassle!

That really wouldn’t be the same situation 😂

Might upset 'some of his audience'.... the preteen girls? And some others would lap it up- some boys who are already being exposed to misogyny. Can you not see an issue?

And we still have to keep hearing that what boys need is more male role models in school!

It definitely is a stereotype around Europe, that English women are relly easy and have sex with lots of men on holiday.

Im not saying its true, im saying its a stereotype that I have heard many times.

Teacher chose to use an OBVIOUS incorrect stereotype to explain that a stereotype usually bunches people together incorrectly by making general assumptions based on the behaviour of one, or a few.

Teacher chose fine. Explain the concept to daughter.

Calm her and quietly resolve to inform teacher, privately, that your daughter is not to hear the word SEX come out of his mouth or she will freak out.
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I’m a teacher, and there’s no way I would have mentioned British women sleeping around as a stereotype, to year 7 or any other age group. It isn’t necessary.
I do think male teachers who introduce sex into discussion/ debate when it’s uncalled for, are either pushing the boundaries or don’t understand where the boundaries should be. Neither of these are good things.
We are told to always report safeguarding concerns because our little concern might be part of a bigger picture, and if others report similar concerns, then something can be done. If our little concern remains just that, and no one else reports anything, then that’s fine.
I probably would report him. Teachers face all sorts of complaints, we have lesson observations and surveys go round asking pupils to evaluate our teaching. It’s never nice to have your shortcomings pointed out to you, but this is how you grow and improve.
This teacher has shown a lack of judgement. If he has it pointed out to him, hopefully he won’t do it again. If he doesn’t have it pointed out, perhaps he might push the boundaries further.
I worked in a very large and prestigious college for 10 years, and during that time 3 male teachers committed serious sexual offences where they ended up being banned from teaching.
Many posters have expressed concern about getting some poor chap into trouble. Well, I’ve taught for years, and I’ve never had any reason to mention sex or sleeping around.

I teach secondary. I often use direct stereotypes to challenge students (e.g. in teaching Dickens "Well, obviously poor people are lazy and stupid... right? No? Oh...? Why is that so horrible and wrong...?").
For Y7, I probably wouldn't have included the part about "sleeping with lots of men" but mostly because they'd lose their minds with giggles. I don't think it's worth complaining about (especially as it may be an exaggeration - or it may have come from a student and then been addressed/discussed by the teacher... you don't know). If you are really worried, can't you just ask the teacher what it was about and to give ypu some context?
My thought, though, is that sort of comment would be fine in a 12A movie so it's probably fine in a classroom of Y7 students.

It's an outrageous comment. Can you raise it via the PTA? Is there a class rep system?

A bit creepy and odd of the teacher. Also, is that even a current stereotype? It's not exactly something your mind would leap to easily, is it?

Not sure about contacting the school though. Maybe file it away in your mind and see if he does anything else weird/more innappropriate with the kids. If it becomes a patern and continues I would raise it.

She is 11!! Yes she should be aware of what sex is, asin biologically, but not adult concepts and phrases such as sleeping with someone and getting drunk.I certainly did not know what those things were at that age and nor should I have.That's the problem nowadays with the two tier system....high school kids are clubbed together in a bunch, but high school now covers a very wide age range, and age 11 is and should still be very much a child.
The teacher sounds wierd OP, and this is a very strange example of a stereotype.Much more appropriate and professional ways to approach that.
Definitely complain!!