Secondary school assistant sacked after posting petition against transgender issues being taught at her son's CofE primary

[TimeLady]

Devoutly Christian secondary school assistant, 43, is sacked after posting petition against transgender issues being taught at her son's CofE primary

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6925837/School-assistant-43-sacked-posting-petition-against-transgender-teaching-sons-school.html

Shouldn’t we be trying to instil confidence and resilience, Sadly society seems to have deemed that an unecessary evil - from non competitive sports days where every one wins / nobody loses on. Confidence is hyped up regradless of aptitude and ability (I am thinking of X Factor as I tyoe that) and resilience has been buried deep under the ever willingness to complain, point the finger and make everything an SEP (Someone Elses Problem)!

I would really like to read the actual petition.

Its also (as always) worth being cautious about drawing absolute conclusions/forming alligencies about those involved in an employment case from a single article.

JessicaWakefieldSV I think there's a massive difference between instilling confidence by helping children to understand that different people live different lives, and exposing them to authority figures who hold views which diminish that child or their family. One approach says people can be different but equally valuable, the other says this group of people aren't quite as naice/acceptable/valid as this other group.

SaskiaRembrandt

Well religion is what it is, if you’re going to a catholic school you have to expect those values to be taught. It’s not really reasonable to have any other expectation.
Generally though, children shouldn’t really know what the personal beliefs are of a teacher, and they certainly should not be actively diminishing certain groups in the classroom. This teacher wasn’t doing that.
I actually sent my child to a C of E school as it was the closest and a good school. I did not mind her learning about religion, she was quite combative with her atheist parents at first as she believed what teachers said was ‘ always the truth’. One day, with no pressure from us, she decided she didn’t believe in God anymore, she explained why in a very interesting way too. I was happy that she learnt about religion and religious families in a safe and low key environment, but I trusted her to use her own critical thinking skills to come to her own conclusions without any fuss from us.

RO

Is this it?

www.citizengo.org/en/167267-give-parents-right-opt-their-child-out-all-aspects-rse

And I feel sorry for teachers tbh they are entitled to live their lives on their own terms without parents thinking they can dictate and judge. They’re there because they’re skilled and qualified educators, I don’t expect much more from them.

She wasn’t. She was protesting about her ds’s primary. She works at a secondary.

Unless both schools are academies then she was as they'd both be controlled by her employer.

What I actually said FishFace2019, is that when people express views considered unpopular or outdated, others who strongly disagree then push for disciplinary action against them. This is when the employment contract gets examined to see what options are available to satisfy the bloodlust.

Complaints have been submitted to GMC re Dr Adrian Harrop's use of social media. GMC seems to take a very long time to deal with complaints against doctors (cf Dr Helen Webberley)

I do not think that it necessarily the case that the GMC is any slower than other bureaucracies - it is just more acceptable to apply summary justice to Christians.

The imputation of kind-hearted was meant to imply that her intentions are pro-safeguarding of children as she sees it, and I don't think anyone who read the article would query this, though they might query her definition of safeguarding.

I would like to say this though. Anyone who thinks that the powers that be are introducing sex education to young children are so doing in order to prevent them from discriminating against or bullying children who might have two mummies are being naive. This move is being made in order to break down any innate defences that children might have to the transgender agenda which is also being used to consolidate state power over as against parental responsibility for children.

In this sense Charleston is absolutely right - what right do any of you have to push your "transphobic" views if the state has decided that unfettered affirmation of trans rights is now moral and humane thing to do?

JackyHolyoake
I don't think so, the wording looks different.
I think I found reference to it on this site but the link to citizengo is broken.
I wonder if the petition has being taken down?

vfjuk.org.uk/news-updates/uphold-the-right-of-parents-to-have-children-educated-in-line-with-their-religious-beliefs/

I was told by a senior HR person that a women’s network wasn’t needed

I didn't have any expectations. This was a primary school, I was a child. You're suggesting a degree of autonomy no child has.

Generally though, children shouldn’t really know what the personal beliefs are of a teacher, and they certainly should not be actively diminishing certain groups in the classroom. This teacher wasn’t doing that.

Maybe she wasn't. But having broken the contract she signed and publicly stated her views about certain gay people, she can't really expect the school - who have a duty of care - to put her in the position where those views could colour her treatment of the pupils.

RO

Yes, I think it must have been taken down .. there is nothing for it on the Citizen Go web site. Maybe that petition I linked is its replacement?

about certain gay people, and by that I mean the ones who don't do what some religious people would like and live celibate lives as 'eternal bachelors'.

Maybe she wasn't. But having broken the contract she signed and publicly stated her views about certain gay people, she can't really expect the school - who have a duty of care - to put her in the position where those views could colour her treatment of the pupils.

Her views haven’t though, to say they have to fire her ‘in case’ her religious views lead to mistreatment, is shocking and I doubt it’s legal. The social media clause is I guess the issue that we are all discussing. Just how far legally an employer should be able to go in relation to social media use. I think it’s a slippery slope and is effectively saying to Christians: you can’t be as free with your social media as the rest of us. I can’t say I think that’s a good or fair arrangement.

Anyone who thinks that the powers that be are introducing sex education to young children

SE for young children is not new.

SE for young children is not new.

Really? For young kids? I’ve never come across it in two separate primaries

JessicaWakefieldSV it is the social media clause. She is entitled to hold any opinion she likes, but once she publishes that opinion she crosses a line. Any gay parents with children at that school would be wary of having this woman in contact with their children. And any gay pupils would be, at best, wondering what the hell she thought of them. She had a duty to be non-judgemental, but she's published views which show her to be very judgemental.

The phrase 'slippery slope' comes to mind...

Really? For young kids? I’ve never come across it in two separate primaries

Ironically, at the school I was talking about, SE lessons started at around 6 or 7. My children (at primaries in the 90s and 00s) at a similar age.

She had a duty to be non-judgemental, but she's published views which show her to be very judgemental.

All of us are judgemental. All of us. Just with different standards and beliefs. She has a duty when in the classroom not to be disrespectful or unkind. I disagree on the use of social media clauses like this.

she can't really expect the school - who have a duty of care - to put her in the position where those views could colour her treatment of the pupils.
But that could apply to any teacher who didn't express their views in all sorts of situations eg what about class. I've seen loads of teachers who underestimate and dismiss working class kids or dismiss a child's religion. Bias doesn't have to be publicly expressed to have a negative effect. A school should be managing a teachers behaviour not their views. This response from the school indicates poor management to me.

A school should be managing a teachers behaviour not their views.

Yes agreed.

SE for young children is not new.

Point remains the same - the state will teach what the state wants to teach and if you query it, you risk losing your job if they have that kind of power over you. First they came for the Christians and then for the transphobes

I disagree on the use of social media clauses like this.

I don't. My own job has one, I can see why it's there. And it actually doesn't stop me expressing opinions on social media, I do it often. However, if I said that certain groups of people were not normal, I would expect my ability to do my job to called into question. It's not something that only affects Christians, it's very common for roles that involve working with vulnerable people.

First they came for the Christians and then for the transphobes

Are you suggesting that being a transphobe is okay?

And anyway, from what I read this woman was talking about gay people.