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Primary education

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Original poster

‘Boys’ street dance is offered at school as a club - no ‘girls’ street dance - Is that ok?

56 replies

reallyconfusedmostofthetime · 06/12/2019 23:03

Can the school as best practice offer a club which specifically states only ‘boys’? My daughter would like to do it. They don’t offer girls street dance. Anyone know if there is legislation or guidelines for this?

OP posts:
DamsonOnThisDress · 07/12/2019 16:19

I think it's fine. It happens. My DS was annoyed that his school had a girls' hockey club but only football offered to boys. Disappointing and maybe a bit unfair bit tough. That's what was offered so he had to look elsewhere for hockey.

I actually think having boys only for dance is a good idea. If it were open to all it would in all likelihood be taken up mostly by girls, putting a lot of boys off.

DamsonOnThisDress · 07/12/2019 16:20

*but, tough

Answerthequestion · 07/12/2019 16:25

It’s totally fine and good. I’ve a boy dancer, lives and breathes dancing but will not be the only boy in a girls class, perfectly happy if there are a few boys but there never are. I trek all over London to take him to boys classes which he loves. I wish he had boys dance at school

Deathgrip · 07/12/2019 16:28

I don’t think it’s a problem at all to have sex specific clubs, but there should be the equivalent made available to the other sex, whether that’s girls street dance, boys netball or whatever. People can’t honestly call it equality when half the kids are missing half the opportunities.

Of course if there aren’t enough kids interested to sustain a group that’s a different matter. And yes, if there were a girls maths club but no opportunity for boys to join a maths club, that’s not right either.

Yes, there may be out of school opportunities but not every child has parents who will take them or can afford to take them.

Solitaryradiator · 07/12/2019 16:29

Depending on the age boys can dance a bit 'randomly' i.e. lunging about and being a bit rowdy, perhaps thats a reason too

What?! Girls are too delicate to be around dancing boys?! I’ve heard it all now

DoesntLeftoverTurkeySoupDragOn · 07/12/2019 16:39

Oh good lord - that comment about "rowdy dancing" is utterly ridiculous 😂😂

DamsonOnThisDress · 07/12/2019 16:48

Ha. Those scoffing at rowdy dancing have not seen me on the dance floor.

Christ. Look out below!

MangoStone · 07/12/2019 16:49

The problem with this is that street dance / hip hop dominated by boys already. It's not the same as trying to encourage girls' football when there is already provision for boys. Really not keen on the idea that street dance is for boys and other dance is for girls.

DoesntLeftoverTurkeySoupDragOn · 07/12/2019 16:51

The problem with this is that street dance / hip hop dominated by boys already

Not in any of the street dance classes my DD has been to.

DamsonOnThisDress · 07/12/2019 16:51

Also, and I say this kindly, please please don't pursue an issue that requires looking into legislation, guidelines and street dance.

Honestly, you won't be taken seriously.

I'd just let it go.

DoesntLeftoverTurkeySoupDragOn · 07/12/2019 16:52

Really not keen on the idea that street dance is for boys and other dance is for girls.

Why do you get that from the OP? They aren't offering Street Dance for boys and ballet for girls.

MangoStone · 07/12/2019 16:54

Not from the OP but from posts like this

At my DGS school they have this - girls' regular dance club and boys' street dance club.

Didiplanthis · 07/12/2019 17:50

My boys would LOVE to dance but don't want to be the only boys in the class, ANY class... we live rurally and our options are limited, there are literally no classes we could get to even if we travel with a reasonable number of boys in to make them comfortable, including street dance. Please don't try to take this away from the boys, there will be loads of out of school dance classes (including street) the girls can do it they want to. There may absolutely no other opportunities for the boys. I'm not sure how you think.thats fair either ?

Original poster
reallyconfusedmostofthetime · 07/12/2019 20:11

I’m quite shocked by this. Why would boys not dance if girls were there? There are dance clubs dominated by girls at the school but I would suggest boys are not really encouraged. My son has dropped out of ballet and jazz dance as soon as he realised the girls costumes were different and he didn’t really have any other boys with him. No boys are excluded from any of these classes but this class explicitly excludes girls. Is this how we want it to be for our kids at primary school? Wouldn’t it be more positive to encourage a feeling that it doesn’t matter if they are a boy or a girl and that they are all in it together and can do whatever they prefer? At least at primary school.

OP posts:
Awkward1 · 07/12/2019 20:31

I disagree with most of these pp because
Sport is largely dominated by men (and where the money is

  • boys largely do not need to be encouraged as they are encouraged by the culture
  • our school for eg in ks1 did football, rugby, and tennis (early start). So you could say by the end of ks1 the boys will generally be fitter. Yes the girls could do these but even at this stage would be the only girl. (Similar to what you are saying about the boys). But literally there is nothing to interest an average girl.

Like a pp im not against sex division but i do think you should have or try to have one for each

Witchend · 07/12/2019 20:39

Great idea.

Ds did dance until he was about 5 or 6 when he suddenly realised he was the only boy and didn't want to go.
He's 12yo now and loves dancing, but won't do it because all the classes are full of girls. If there was a boys only one he'd be delighted.

In exactly the same way my girls have had lots of extra maths/technology/science trips that are laid on to encourage girls to do these subjects.

Lulualla · 07/12/2019 20:40

Look, sometimes its just good to be able to so things with just your own sex. It's good for boys to have a club which is just for boys. It's good for girls to have clubs which are just for girls.

Stop trying to prevent that. Leave the boys alone.

I go to a book club with just women. There is no reason for us to only have women in the group... we just want it that way. A lot of boys dont want to dant with the girls. Let them dance in safe space, with just boys.

DoesntLeftoverTurkeySoupDragOn · 07/12/2019 20:44

My son has dropped out of ballet and jazz dance as soon as he realised the girls costumes were different and he didn’t really have any other boys with him.

So you do know why boys wouldn't necessarily do it.

DoesntLeftoverTurkeySoupDragOn · 07/12/2019 20:45

I disagree with most of these pp because
Sport is largely dominated by men

And dance (particularly at this age) is largely dominated by girls.

Disfordarkchocolate · 07/12/2019 20:47

The only way some boys will start dancing is in a boys-only street dancing club. They feel more comfortable and less embarrassed about learning with just boys. I wouldn't be complaining, it's excellent exercise and can attract boys who don't like exercise.

leghairdontcare · 07/12/2019 20:47

Why would boys not dance if girls were there? There are dance clubs dominated by girls at the school but I would suggest boys are not really encouraged

You seem so close and yet so far from understanding this issue.

Boys do not attend the mixed dance classes because they are picking up on the unconscious bias which means, in practice, they are for girls. The school recognise this and so offer them a male only space in which to dance.

titchy · 07/12/2019 21:00

I’m quite shocked by this. Why would boys not dance if girls were there?

Do you live under a rock or something? Your own son dropped dance because he didn't have any other boys in the class - does that not give you a teeny tiny clue?

BoneyBackJefferson · 07/12/2019 21:35

So are you doing this because
It excludes girls?
Your DD wants to do it?
You don't want boys to have something just aimed at them?
You don't understand why boys wouldn't want to dance in a female dominated class?

If you do this and your DD gets good at this I look forward to the
"Why are their so few boys that dance" threads that will follow.

CareOfPunts · 07/12/2019 21:38

I think it’s probably fine. Given most kids who do dancing in general are girls the aim is probably to increase the participation of boys in dance.

My son’s school has female only sports clubs, presumably in sports where they’re trying to increase participation of girls.

FlamingoAndJohn · 08/12/2019 13:01

Why would boys not dance if girls were there?

I hope you are being deliberately obtuse.

Sport is largely dominated by men (and where the money is
- boys largely do not need to be encouraged as they are encouraged by the culture

Newsflash. Not all boys like sport. Some boys prefer exercise like dance. By allowing boys to dance with other boys we can start to undo the toxic masculinity that dominates and makes boys who don’t like sport feel like they are being a boy wrong.

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