primary school - gender stereotyping

[pinguina]

Hello
I live in the Midlands with DH and 2DD aged 4 and 6. On Friday I received the school newsletter with this info: in order to improve their writing by giving them topics they are interested in, the children in my eldest DD's class have been split into groups, boys and girls. (I quote verbatim): boys' activities include climbing ropes, bending it like Beckham and making paper planes. Girls have been learning how to give a hand massage, how to make an entrance and strike a pose.This afternoon they will be getting together to put on a fashion show.
Is it 1954 and I hadn't noticed? I went to complain to the headteacher. What would you do?

Shocking!!! Im a teacher and I understand giving topics that interest the students. Why not let the children select a topic from a list regardless of their gender? The 'girl' topics are pants!

Did you tell the teacher that Bend it like Beckham is a film about girls who love football?

yy mishmoshi, have they actually watched Bend it Like Beckham?

I would want to have a chat with the governors about this, op. the teachers obviously aren't getting it. Their misinformed attitude (I'm being kind) is failing the students.

This is the sort of rubbish that makes me want to Home-Ed, even when the schools aren't as blatant as this, the casual way they are divided into children with penises and those without, at every opportunity is enough to put them in stereotype threat throughout the school day and affect their performance in everything.

Do you buy Christmas gifts for teachers? Instead of a box of roses or whatever the usual thing is... maybe a job lot of these for the staffroom would be more useful: Delusions of Gender

Well exactly! This is what happens at dcs' school and pupils take turns to pick first so there is no monopolising of certain activities by one group. I'm sure certain activities attract more of one gender than others but at least it's a free choice - over the last few weeks DS2 has done Thunderbirds, Zumba, scooters, biscuit decorating and finger knitting.

What happened OP? Any more updates?

I'm new to the feminist board and this is the first thread I've clicked on.

I work with children.

Never mind the utterly crap gender stereotyped activities - just dividing them up into boys and girls is bad enough for a complaint.

You wouldn't line children up according to eye colour. or ethnicity. or whether or not they have a disability. or by height (unless you were doing some specific maths activity, and made it clear that it didn't really matter what height they were). or for any other reason or of their control.

I am utterly aghast. complain, complain. ask for a copy of the school's equal opportunities policy. If you don't get a good response, call Ofsted.

Sorry, just realised there was a whole thread. so glad you have already said something to the school. doesn't sound like you have had a great response though.

I think there should be something specific in the guidance given to schools that says you can't separate children by gender. It does happen a lot, in lots of schools. even seemingly innocuous things like lining up for p.e. It is just wrong.

Agree green.

And welcome to FWR!