School have a trans information session/day

[PerverseConverse]

My year 7 DD is upset as they have been told they are covering transgender issues in the new year. She doesn't know when exactly it is but has said she doesn't want to go to school that day. I don't know any details at the moment and she's not been told much either.

I've pointed out that it's a good opportunity for her to raise questions and challenge the trend but at 11 it's a big ask of her. If it's too big an ask for her to challenge at that age then as far as I'm concerned it's inappropriate for her to be taught indoctrinated about this in school. She is well aware of trans issues and the wider debate and issues facing women and I'm proud that she's gender critical and thinks it's all bollocks However she's worried that speaking up will get her in trouble

I do not want her exposed to any nonsense in school so will find out when it is and tell them she will not be attending and why.

It makes me so angry that they are peddling this nonsense to children who are in the midst of puberty, adjusting to life at high school, freaking out at mixed sex toilets (previous thread on that), and are generally st a very impressionable age.

What's the best way to tackle the school? I've already sent the headmaster the Trans Trend school resources link in connection with the toilet situation. I told them we weren't supporting CIN and why. And now this!

Maybe you should just ask where the curriculum has come from? Whilst sweetly pointing out that if it originates from a political lobbying group it’s likely not to withstand a legal challenge. Could be very expensive for a school.

*whistles

I dunno,really perverse. Bu5 considering there is a rape every single day in schools I would ask how they ar3 dealing with this
Rather than focusing on the trans stuff it’s tim3 schools dealt with this rather than the trendy new stuff peddled by mermaids

It's not indoctrination, it's education. The issue falls under the fundamental british values that all schools must adhere to and falls under the citizenship curriculum.
Your fear seems to be that your dc and her classmates will decide they are trans?? It's like when homosexuality was first discussed in schools, so many pearl clutchers thought thatd 'turn their kids gay'. That is obviously a load of rubbish, and it seems to be happening again with trans issues by a minority of people who are anti trans activists today.
It's 2018, most kids/teens have unlimited access to the Internet, they will learn about trans issues one way or another...there is a lot of misinformation online hence why schools teach it. To give an unbiased, informative lesson with an idea to help create a society of people who have mutual respect and understanding.

CaptainShark are you on glue? "unbiased, informative lesson with an idea to help create a society of people who have mutual respect and understanding." Since when has anything that the likes of Mermaids peddle been any of that??

My children know that it is not possible to change sex. I have no concerns that anyone will turn them into anything.

Don't compare homosexuality with transgenderism as it's simply not the same at all and many trans people are blatantly homophobic as can be seen from the likes of twitter feeds from members of the gay village in Manchester.

there is a lot of misinformation online hence why schools teach it.

If there's a lot of misinformation online, it's not really helpful to teach more of it. The schools just give it a veneer of authenticity, but it's still the same misinformation.

Have you seen the appalling 'advice' given to schools about trans issues?

The 'advice' tends to centre around the fiction that people can change sex. They can't.

"It's like when homosexuality was first discussed in schools, so many pearl clutchers thought thatd 'turn their kids gay'. That is obviously a load of rubbish, and it seems to be happening again with trans issues by a minority of people who are anti trans activists today. "

This is such a load of bs. It's a totally false analogy meant to insinuate that anyone who is in any way critical of what is being told to children about gender is a bigot.

There are increasing and increasing numbers of children identifying as trans, and so many of them are girls. It is concerning because the only acceptable response, unless you're prepared to be accused of bigotry and transphobia, is immediate acceptance and a pathway to irreversible medical treatment.

Girls who are behaving in totally normal, but non sex-stereotyped ways, are being encouraged to think there is something wrong with them.

That would only be a relevant comparison if being gay led to medical intervention and a surgical pathway.

We don’t teach year 7’s about cancer, but 1 in 3 of them will diagnosed with it, and all of them will have family and/or friends affected by it.

CaptainShark how anyone who has found this board and presumably read even a fraction of the concerns around the issues, can still be in denial about those concerns, beggars belief.

it's like when homosexuality was first discussed in schools, so many pearl clutchers thought thatd 'turn their kids gay'. That is obviously a load of rubbish, and it seems to be happening again with trans issues by a minority of people who are anti trans activists today.

That comparison doesn't work because the vast majority of people can't control or chose their sexuality. People can and do choose their gender presentation. As confirmed by stonewall, you don't need gender dysphoria to be trans. Hense the rise in non binary and gender fluid people.

No, I'm not on glue, thank you for your concern. Since when has anything that the likes of Mermaids peddle been any of that?? I'm not entirely sure what you mean by the term mermaid but I'd hazard a guess that it's a derogatory label applied to people who don't share your ideology, ie - me?

And yes oldcrone I do know the advice given to teens in schools about this, I know it very well indeed.

We don’t teach year 7’s about cancer, but 1 in 3 of them will diagnosed with it, and all of them will have family and/or friends affected by it. don't worry, most schools do fundraising for cancer research, cover the topic in PSHCE etc. because, as you say, it's such a prevelant issue.

unless you're prepared to be accused of bigotry and transphobia, is immediate acceptance and a pathway to irreversible medical treatment. this is simply not the case. Below is an extract from the NHS pages;

Most treatments offered at this stage are psychological, rather than medical or surgical.
And here is the link to the website so you can learn more about what really happens, I hope you feel relieved after reading and your worry about immediate surgical intervention is quelled.
www.nhs.uk/conditions/gender-dysphoria/treatment/

Im going to bed now, glad I could help clear some things up

I'm surprised you haven't heard of the charity Mermaids who have published guidance for schools that is problematic in many areas.

It's interestingly naive that you think that following the NHS provided support is the only way that these things proceed. Look at the likes of Dr Helen Webberley and the kinds things that can be accessed via the internet. And even things like chest binders can cause long term health issues.

Clearly CaptainShark hasn't bothered to read anything on these boards if they a) haven't heard of Mermaids, and b) think that plopping a link to the NHS site will make people change their minds about their concerns.

CaptainShark is clearly considerably less informed than they think they are. And an order of magnitude less informed than many of the posters on FWR.

CaptainShark
Are you in the UK? Have you really not heard of Mermaids? And you've come on to a thread discussing what children are being taught about trans issues in school.

Since you know what advice is being given to schools, you will know that much of it is on shaky ground from a legal point of view, as Betty mentioned.

Most treatments offered at this stage are psychological, rather than medical or surgical.

Psychological treatment for gender identity issues is now largely viewed as conversion therapy, with the totally predictable outcome that many young people who are gay are likely to be 'affirmed' in a cross-sex gender identity, so in fact, the affirmation itself becomes conversion therapy.

Mermaids (the organisation that you've never heard of ) pushes intervention with puberty blockers as early as possible and links to Helen Webberly's unregistered gender clinic (she has prescribed cross-sex hormones to children as young as 12).

I think you need to do a bit more wider reading about the issues. I recommend the many threads on this board as a good place to start.

And several orders of magnitude less knowledge than some.

I’m with BettyDuMonde on this one.

Ask what materials they will be using to teach, have they checked them against equality act and safeguarding. Will they be teaching or will it be external providers, if so who, have they been DBS’d.

Basically ask lots of questions and make it absolutely clear that they are liable if what they ‘teach’ is utter bollocks and you will be pursuing it.

Schools really need to start being more scared of being sued by 99% of parents than TRA’s.

I’m pretty certain that Mermaids follow the equality act. I’d also hazard a guess that whoever they have going into schools is DBS checked (I doubt they’d be allowed into schools otherwise?)

‘Pretty certain’ and ‘hazarding a guess’ is really not a high enough standard when it comes to safeguarding children.

I think your solution, although it will cause argument from the school, is the most sensible one.
I also would be finding out when these lessons are to be taking place and taking my child out of the school for the duration.

You are well behind the times, CaptainShark - these days GPs can refer straight to gender services (you used to have to go through CAMHS first) and anything other than affirmation is denounced as transphobic.

See today’s Metro for a mum planning a double mastectomy for her child the minute the child turns 16 - yet if it were a risk reducing cancer surgery it wouldn’t be considered before the age of 30 (because it’s brutal on the body, challenging pysychologically and because you might want to feed a baby at some point). You can’t even legally consent to genetic tests for BRCA1/2 until you are 18!
Why aren’t our gender questioning kids being handled with similar caution?

But we’re just old fashioned bigots, right?

As a mother of a kid with a genuinely life threatening illness who has to go to hospital all the bloody time where we see countless other families who have to go to hospital all the bloody time I cannot fathom how people are seemingly so willing to sign kids up to an ‘identity’ that has a medical-patient-for-life trajectory.

It’s completely fucked up and absolutely NOTHING like being gay.

You don’t need to be DBS checked to go into a school as long as you aren’t left alone with a pupil.

Most treatments offered at this stage are psychological, rather than medical or surgical.

You appear not to understand what the word "pathway" means here.

And as for not knowing who Mermaids are, why are you discussing something you don't have the first idea about as if you're some kind of authority?

Peverse

From what I gathered from previous digging around, when they are doing these teachings they are bringing in one of their reps, it may not be case here but if it I personally think it’s a lot for Year 7 to ask questions given how the react to anyone who doesn’t nod along.

Do they not need to consult parents first about this or is this where the start with the parents don’t need to know.

Sorry not any helpful suggestions all I know is that I’m against this being taught to children.

Also what was the point of the government consultation on health & sex in education? they gone ahead anyway do whatever they want.

Also what was the point of the government consultation on health & sex in education? they gone ahead anyway do whatever they want

Consultations are not supposed to be box ticking "public engagement" exercises with no meaning, but they so often are.

I have sat through sessions like this at school. Quite often it will be combined with a number of other topics that are part of the pshe curriculum.

The last day had 5x hour sessions and covered consent, porn and internet safety, contraception, lgbtq and then a q & a session.

Pupils found it really useful and the 't' part
Of the day was small - we had a trans woman and a gay man delivering the session and she was great at answering all the questions open and honestly. The pupils were respectful and all found it useful to get another perspective.

It's education not indoctrination.

Just a point. School visitors don’t have to be DBS checked as long as a member of staff who is DBS cleated remains in the classroom or hall with them at all times. As you were.