If parents in your child's school are questioning the current PSHE curriculum...

[TomatoesAndSunflowers]

Please don't call them transphobes!

It's NOT transphobia to want our kids to understand that there are 2 sexes and that people can't change their sex. Or become a cat for that matter.

In fact, if you have some caring souls trying to tackle this issue with your school, then you should be thanking them.

You could always try informing yourself of what is REALLY being taught to your children in this regard.

Most of the parents around here who have a problem with this are not even talking about the trans issues, too many of them are saying "NO WAY ARE THE SCHOOL GOING TO TEACH MY THREE YEAR OLD TO MASTUBATE" and other similar nonsense. So yes, I do think they are ignorant dickheads.

Why do you think that?

Because no one is teaching three year olds to masturbate.

@Nomorenonbinary well that's good 👍

@Nomorenonbinary are you aware of everything your child is going to be taught?

Its not just any teaching of gender thats the issue. Its how its infiltrated stuff the rest of the stuff they teach.

The material in dd2s lesson was all " people with vaginas " and " people with penises"

Good job some of us had already explained who those " people " were.

This inaccuracy is unacceptable and defeats the object of pshe.

Except most of the complaints ARE transphobic. The cat story was also a load of nonsense. Nobody identified as a cat. The OFSTED report on the school has been released and there were no issues at all. And OFSTED are hugely strict on safeguarding in this type of inspection. But that isn't getting the coverage.

Yes

A lot of the opposition here as far as I can tell seems to be on the basis of assuming telling students about anything will mean that they'll do it, and kids being too young. Also, reducing PSHE to "sex education". I think it's really important that kids learn have access to such education at all ages but appropriate levels - including what is happening as their bodies change, their rights over their bodies and consent. Not just leaving things to advertising and the internet. Not leaving teenage girls to just seeing their bodies as something to worry about. Equipping girls to deal with shame and harassment and move away from that.

I think sexuality and trans issues should be part of that too, but it should be in the context of a fuller learning for kids, families, schools, society. I've seen ugly language and views expressed on various sides of the debate. I worry that kids who feel they don't conform to the norms of being a girl or a boy don't have the option to consider whether it is the stereotypes and norms (and bullying) that's the problem or that they need to make the transition.

When I was 13 and had just started secondary in the early 80s (we had a middle school system), a rumour went round that I was a lesbian and I was subjected to a lot of bullying and prejudice for nearly 2 years (and then someone took me under her wing). I also began to be interested in boys, though I think that wasn't really part of things improving one way or the other, as my playground rescue happened long before I had a serious boyfriend in sixth form. I didn't really know who I fancied or not at that point. This does shape my view though that space and time and information are important.

And yes, primary school kids need PSHE too.

And schools can provide information about the curriculum/syllabus, and education can be planned. Staff training important. But saying any mention of xyz subject is off limits until a certain age is dangerous, and it's not giving our kids the education they need. What happened to safeguarding?

Ofsted are not, Ofsted will take one single comment and base their whole inspection upon that depending on what their bias is.