Primary school Equaliteach

[iliveinacarpetbag]

Hi, is anyone familiar with the organisation Equaliteach? My child's primary school is planning to introduce a programme by them with regards to "challenging heteronormativity and cisnormativity". It's not clear yet what exactly the school are planning to do.

www.equaliteach.co.uk/valentines-challenging-heteronormativity-cisnormativity/

It wouldn't be possible to comment upon exactly how much they (the school) intend to implement but searching for 'site:equaliteach.co.uk lesson plans' on Google (remove the inverted commas) turns up a variety of resources they'd (the charity) presumably provide to the school.

Just looked up their website. Wouldn’t touch them with a barge pole - trained up by Mermaids and Stonewall. No one tells my kids they are cis

As a parent, I'd ask the school what due diligence they have carried out about this organisation? What qualifications does the organisation / presenters have in wishing to influence the organisation and ethos of a school? What are their experience / qualifications in child psychology? Child development? Schools and education?

And most importantly what is their training in safeguarding? Have the school ensured that all materials used and views expressed are Working Together / Keeping Children Safe in Education complaint?

What access will individuals have to children, either individually or groups? Are they all in possession of enhanced DBS checks?

I'd put those questions to the school in letter / email form and ask for a formal response to each point.

I would also ask them to be aware that "cis" is increasingly becoming a word that is contentious, and not accepted by the group it aims to describe so that they would be moving into very political waters to start teaching their children language that many see as pejorative

No primary school child needs to be taught to 'challenge heteronormailty' etc. so on that basis I wouldn't want this group in my child's school. Children just need to learn to be accepting and not to bully. They can tackle concepts from queer theory when they are adults and hopefully have the ability to see through it.

There is no such thing as a trans-child. In UK law, gender reassignment can only begin beyond the age of 18.

"challenging heteronormativity and cisnormativity"

it looks terrible.

I am increasingly glad I home educate my DD, the fact that it's become necessary for parents to have to ask the questions listed by Uncompromisingwoman is terrifying to me. What on earth are schools thinking allowing these organisations access to children when it's clear most don't even consider the points raised by those questions?!!

This does not belong in a Primary school.

So looking quickly at the lesson plans on the website and the Out of the Box section, that looks ok- about not having boys/ girls toys, challenging gender stereotypes, awareness that some kids will have same sex couple parents. All good.

But the blog link about "cis-gender-normality" is really worrying stuff.

So I guess it depends what the school has in mind, although the blog link was sent to parents when informing us about the proposed programme.

Queer theory is usually disguised by accompanying it with perfectly reasonable theories (such as not stereotyping toys or colours) with the assumption that things will be taken at face value.

Whilst I risk sounding like a conspiracy-theorist, never take things at face value.

If it was me I would ask the Qs Uncompromising suggests and keep my child home that day.

There is an ever-increasing list of 'training' organisations like this one with parent-friendly names and child-friendly content but it doesn't take much to look beneath the surface and find something more.

There are so many of these groups cropping up now, it seems.
You could contact Transgender Trend and Safer Schools Alliance, both have advice and packs that you could send to schools.

My own child's school is being brainwashed by two organisations at the moment, so I share your concerns.

As OhHolyJesus points out, this training is another gravy train and it is essential that parents ask about the qualifications, experience and motivation of those selling this stuff to schools. These changes are profound - not just tackling stereotyping toys etc but advocating meddling with children's sense of self, society and others (born in the wrong body, normalising breast binding / puberty blockers / sterilising surgery for children being just a few examples).

Schools must conduct due diligence and ensure that people pushing this stuff at children can back up their theories with clear evidenced research about the psychological impact on young minds.

He's a teenager and at secondary school and he understands the difference between sex and gender I might add.
Primary school children, however, are being targeted by organisations that exploit children's innocence. Grooming.

I leave this here without comment but the source is the LGBT GEO meeting meetings from July last year.

Please note 6.0.7

Organisations who deliver similar training who I am aware of, beyond Stonewall, Barnardos, Mermaids are:

Educate and Celebrate
The Proud Trust (check Genderjam)
Metro City
Jigsaw
NSPCC Speak Out
Diversity Role Models
Bish

Respect yourself we know about and also Equaliteach.

The only one which is remotely acceptable in my view is Lifting Limits but this is not a recommendation, I encourage anyone with a child in school to ask questions and get content and lesson plans.

I'd ever there was a time to stop trusting and start asking questions it's now. At least then we can make informed decisions.

Don't forget Gendered Intelligence/Allsorts

Look, GI are looking for BAME volunteers to work with young people. No experience required, but...

To volunteer for the BAME youth group, you should identify as BAME/a person of colour.

genderedintelligence.co.uk/support-us/youthgroupvolunteer

Oh yes them too Hands

In fact if anyone has any other suggestions please DM me (to avoid derailing any further), thanks.

Shelley Charlesworth's articles are really worth reading & saving. Her reearch & analysis will help back up questions parents, carers & governors may have about the organisations providing schools with resources & training exploring sex/gender etc

www.transgendertrend.com/no-outsiders-queering-primary-classroom/

www.transgendertrend.com/stonewall-lgbt-inclusive-teaching-primary-schools/

www.transgendertrend.com/diversity-role-models-conformity-new-ideology/

Can you withdraw your children from these sessions though? Or are they integrated into the whole school teaching?

I encourage anyone with a child in school to ask questions and get content and lesson plans.

I'd ever there was a time to stop trusting and start asking questions it's now. At least then we can make informed decisions.

This ^^
Parents, carers & governors really do need to start asking questions.
Asking questions is how we help Safeguard children & vulnerable adults

So looking quickly at the lesson plans on the website and the Out of the Box section, that looks ok- about not having boys/ girls toys, challenging gender stereotypes, awareness that some kids will have same sex couple parents. All good.

But the usual descriptions of what is meant by all the gender terms is confusing and contradictory.

Gender - A social construct in that children learn how to behave in a manner typically associated with their sex. This can include roles, clothes, emotional behaviours, and interests.

Gender Non-Conforming - A term used by people whose gender expression is different from stereotypical expectations of masculinity and femininity

Gender Conformity - The belief that people’s gender should conform to their sex (i.e. that males should behave in a masculine way, females in a feminine way) which reinforces gender stereotypes and negative attitudes toward people who do not conform.

All those seem quite clear and reasonable definitions. But now we get to transgender and gender identity.

Trans/Transgender - An umbrella term for people whose gender identity or gender expression differs from what is typically associated with their biological sex.

Isn't that effectively the same definition as gender non-conforming? So if you are gender non-conforming you are actually transgender? And doesn't this just reinforce gender stereotypes by saying that if you don't conform you need a label of 'trans', so you can't just be your gender non-conforming self?

Gender Identity - Someone’s innate psychological understanding of themselves as either a man, woman or another identity beyond the manwoman binary. A person’s gender identity may or may not align with their biological sex.

How are you going to explain to a child what a gender identity is? I've read lots of descriptions like that and I still don't understand what it is, and I am quite sure I don't have a 'gender identity'. What about the children who feel they don't?

All in all I think this sort of 'education' programme just causes confusion amongst children.

www.equaliteach.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/OUTSIDE-THE-BOX-FINAL.pdf

I don't see how it can fail to be confusing for children when they're being taught something which isn't grounded in material reality. It's all about feelings and they're hard enough to navigate as an adult, how on earth can children be expected to understand?

Gender is a social construct, but gender identity is inate.

And the definition of biological sex is pure bollocks.

I don't see how it can fail to be confusing for children

And how can it not also scare the bejesus out of primary school children.

I adored my teachers at primary school, I practically worshipped one in particular. I would believe what they told me to be true without question. I saw things as black and white, it was only when I was mid/late teens that I started really thinking for myself and feeling confident to voice a dissenting opinion. I toed the line at school, worked hard and I didn't rebel until my late 20s (and I was bullied and body dysmorphic like most teenagers).

What if we eradicate all sense of questioning at an early age and leave these young minds without any chance of making their own way?

Mermaids trainer: "don't think, stop thinking".

Vs

Teacher/parent: "there are no bad questions, what do you think?"