Is the teaching of transgender ideology really that common in primary schools?

[teachingintheuk]

I've applied to commence a PGCE in primary education in September, (Northamptonshire). Last night I came across this video on youtube and to say I'm shocked is an understatement. d
I'd like to ask the teachers and parents on this site - is this video of a teacher/parent meeting just an anomaly? Surely as a primary school teacher I wouldn't be expected to teach transgender beliefs to children? Throughout the video, the teacher says she is simply following statutory guidance but faith schools wouldn't teach this, surely? I would like to know if this really is common place, or is simply a one-off and I shouldn't let this video concern me. Thanks.

Once again:

That didn't happen.
And if it did, it wasn't that bad.
And if it was, that's not a big deal.
And if it is, that's not my fault.
And if it was, I didn't mean it.
And if I did, you deserved it.

OP you will see a theme when they can’t shut down your posts or close your accounts.

@TizerorFizz You're not straightforward, you're rude - big difference. Easy to behave like this behind a keyboard.

'You seem to think tiny pieces of evidence shows something much more widespread and a huge issue' - where have I said this?

'If you had even been in many schools or looked in depth at the curriculum you would know that'. I have volunteered in schools and I have looked at the curriculum, but I'm not a teacher or a parent, so I came onto a CHAT forum, to ask for people's experience of the education system and to ask whether the video I saw was representative of the UK education system or not.

Why are you on here? Obviously you don't want to chat or be sociable so why not log off and go and do something more productive?

Thanks for your reply. That sounds like an unhealthy obsession! Is the Head the person driving it all? Surely some children and staff are sick of it? Don't the parents complain?

@teachingintheuk By quoting a video and assuming it’s correct. I’ll leave you to it. But your concerns are totally overblown. Maybe listening to experienced people is not your strong point? Good luck with teaching.

Have you even bothered to read my original message or listened to the video?
I don't know what you mean by, 'assuming it's correct'. It was a recording of a teacher and parent meeting - are you suggesting the video is fake? As for 'my concerns', I came here to ask if the meeting I heard in the video was anomaly or fairly common place in primary schools, that was all.
As for you're an 'experienced' person - you're clearly not very experienced communicating to people in a respectful way. I imagine I'm not the first person you tell you that.

You have taken one recorded meeting and are pushing that as possible evidence of all schools being like this. It is one recording which does not work by the way. I’m suggesting you talk to schools about the true position. It’s not rude, it’s practical advice to allay your fears.

I've no idea if anyone complains. I did write a letter of concern when they announced an official policy that all pupils could use the sports changing rooms they "felt comfortable in". I got a vague response back but I think that policy got quietly dropped.

My previous form group were quite eye-rolling about some of this but my current form are too compliant to say anything. So it's hard to say how many of the kids are fed up with it.

I personally am extremely fed up with it. It's not just that I think the ideology can be harmful to kids in various ways; it's also, unarguably, reduced the richness and variety of our assemblies and PSHE provision.

I don't know if it's driven by the Head. I know there are two members of SLT who are quite pushy with it and have been the driving force behind the badges and the email pronouns and so on. But the Head must have promoted them for a reason.

Please don’t think I’m attacking you because that isn’t actually my intention here but, as nicely as possible, if you are not an inclusive person then teaching probably isn’t the most appropriate career for you. You are likely at some point to come across children who really need your support whether that be because they are trans, gay, expected to conform to gender stereotypes, expected to believe certain things by their families that they don’t etc. Part of your job is to support them in a completely non-judgemental way, without your own prejudices influencing you. You also have to encourage other pupils to be inclusive if they are targetting chikdren. If you think you can’t do that then perhaps you should consider another career. Teaching is hard enough without you being uncomfortable in the expectations of your role.

Moglet funny how you mention ‘inclusive’ but make no mention of disability or learning difficulties, or religion and belief. At our school those who believe in gender ideology regularly target for bullying those who don’t, who don’t follow the latest pronoun change either due to belief or learning disability. They also keep secret changes to name etc from parents. You can be inclusive to Muslims without insisting everyone follows their belief and making girls wear hijabs whether they are Muslim or not.

As for expected to conform to gender stereotypes gender ideology reinforces harmful sex stereotypes. Short hair? Prefer trousers and playing football? You must be a boy! Like pink and makeup? You must be a girl!

You’ve misunderstood me somewhat. By ‘conforming to gender stereotypes’ I was thinking more of Asian girls I’ve taught, for example, who are expected to do household chores where their brothers are not and this has made them quite miserable and angry. I didn’t think disabilities and learning difficulties were particularly pertinent examples as the OP has not mentioned having a problem with them. Also, I specifically mentioned religion when I said that some families expect them to believe certain things that they don’t. In the kindest way possible I was simply saying that the OP will come across many situations and scenarios that she may not personally agree with or approve of but that she will have to put those opinions/ beliefs to one side in order to support the child; if she feels she can’t do that, then teaching is not an appropriate fit for her.

@Moglet4, I am not a teacher, but what about safeguarding, and what about cases where there's a clash of rights? Of course school staff should support children, but what if a child believes that she must restrict her eating to a life-threatening level? What if the child is being brought up in a religion that tells her that same-sex attraction is evil and this leads her to tell other children that they are going to hell? Religion is a protected characteristic in the Equality Act but so is sexual orientation. It's all very well being non-judgemental and supportive but you surely can't just nod along to everything that a child says they believe if it's going to cause harm to them or others.

Many young girls are uncomfortable with their changing female bodies, sexual stereotypes, sexual harassment, porn culture etc.. Some of them have a growing suspicion that they might be sexually attracted to girls/women, not boys/men. Many on the autistic spectrum are already feeling out of step with their peers. Any or all of these have led to a growing number of girls concluding that they are actually boys, and some of them end up harming themselves by wearing a binder or taking puberty blockers and/or cross-hormones, which would lead to sterility and loss of sexual response. A few go on to have a double mastectomy or even a hysterectomy. I would like school staff to reassure these girls that they are fine just as they are, that stereotypes are toxic, that it's fine to be a lesbian - find them some role models!

I'm secondary and it depends on which school you are in.
The HT and SLT have bought in to this hook line and sinker, and more worryingly so has the DSL.

Honestly, I’m beginning to think you’re being deliberately obtuse. Teachers already do all these things BUT they do not project their own beliefs on children in the way that it seems the OP is in danger of doing if she goes into teaching. If you were a teacher then you’d know that very few children are taking puberty blockers etc on a whim - that is just absolute nonsense. The OP cannot project her own beliefs about being trans or homosexual onto the children - that is the point here.

Obtuse? Nice, thanks! I have no sense that the OP has any problem with homosexuality. I assume she is concerned about the enormous surge in young girls declaring a trans identity in the last few years. Social contagion is a recognised phenomenon. teenage girls are particularly susceptible to it, and this fits the bill.

Teaching gender ideology as fact is indoctrinating beliefs. A teacher cannot project her own beliefs but that also includes telling children we all have a gender identity and some children are born with sexed souls that do not match their body. It should be taught that some people believe that they have an identity that matches sex stereotypes, and that they believe that these can sometimes match the cultural expectations of the opposite sex. And they should be taught that it is impossible to change sex.

On homosexuality, many mainstream conservative or orthodox religions believe sex outside marriage is a wrong and marriage can only be between a man and a woman. Not same sex attraction per se. So any sex, including heterosexual sex, outside marriage is wrong. I hope a teacher isn’t being judgemental and prejudiced towards those who believe this. Again it would be a case of ‘that is what some people believe’.

@Moglet4 There are some odd ideas on this thread and highly unlikely scenarios are promoted as the norm. I agree with you. The views of the op are not commensurate with teaching.

Op isn't "pushing it as evidence all schools are like this" she is ASKING if all schools are like that. Big difference.
What I will say is even if a school is like that I don't think op should let it put her off applying for the job. It would be good for those kids to have at least one voice of reason in the school.

That all depends if you think she would get a job there. Probably not.

Sadly likely to be true as we see what bigoted intolerance those pushing gender ideology show to those who don’t adhere to their beliefs.

In the kindest way possible I was simply saying that the OP will come across many situations and scenarios that she may not personally agree with or approve of but that she will have to put those opinions/ beliefs to one side in order to support the child; if she feels she can’t do that, then teaching is not an appropriate fit for her.

As @SaffronSpice said and you seem to have missed, that also applies to genderists pushing their own ideology in schools, doesn't it?

The OP is totally correct in questioning what is happening in schools. I would hope all teachers are doing the same.
my daughters class of 15 students has 5 trans men. Just think about that figure, and consider how that effects and affects the stats and figures that year. It is actually laughable that we as adults and responsible voters/general public have not stepped in and put a halt to this. Teenage children are being given life altering drugs and yet we are all to scared to say anything.
I hope to god that my child has someone like the OP in their classroom. Questioning what is being taught, no, forced upon them. Thankyou OP for feeling the way you do.
children should not be targeted in this way- and that is exactly what is happening, it is an abhorrent safeguarding issue that is being allowed to play on before our very eyes.

I apologise for calling you obtuse- I thought you were the other poster I’d been replying to 🤦‍♀️ Considering what OP has said about her beliefs and concerns, I think it’s highly likely she does have a problem with homosexuality, among other things. Great if she doesn’t but she doesn’t get to pick and choose in a school situation. The hordes of kids taking puberty blockers are fictional. However, there are a few kids who are actually trans and they deserve to be supported, not told that they are wrong by a bigoted teacher. The teacher’s opinion shouldn’t feature at all. They should simply be directing them to more appropriate support. Only the OP will know if she can do that.

However, there are a few kids who are actually trans

What does this mean? This is your ideological belief. I note you haven't acknowledged the point that gender identity activist teachers exist.

Also, not believing in gender identity ideology does not mean someone is homophobic. Gender identity ideology is frequently homophobic.

I’m really confused by some pps on this thread. Why are pps saying OP is homophobic? Why are they saying she should not be a teacher? Just because she has asked if a video she saw is standard in education or a one off in a single school? Very strange answers