Just asked to comment on primary schoolSexual Education policy in Ireland. Your help needed.

[XXSex]

Can’t out myself too much.

Lots of resource books about transgender listed.

One - only one - book on female empowerment. None on male breaking down the sexist stereotypes apart from 3 (!!!!!) boy becomes girl books and now boy is happy because he can finally become himself.

I suspect that this is going to be a standard roll out in Irish primary schools (ages 4-12) and want to get my points across.

Help please with

• additional books on female and males books breaking stereotypes and ultimate acceptance.
• comments that I can give to the school.

They are bringing in concepts as transgender at 4-7 and not including anything about not having to confirm to what societal bonds there might be! FFS

I'm in Dublin too. Have been concerned about this for a while and now my oldest is about to start JI in sept. He's going to a gaelscoil. ..anyone know how they compare to ET and other schools on this?

They are all national schools under DES, unless independent (fee paying) so all are under the national curriculum but must have individual school policies. Yours is available via your school/school website.

Also interested in meeting other GC people! My OH is sick of me talking about it and my family think I'm not being "kind" or whatever

Thank you heygirlheyboy. It's actually a brand new school so no website yet! I suppose I was wondering how they compare in general..I noticed people were saying up thread that ETs are usually very right on and woke. Definitely the feeling myself and oh got when we visited our local ET when we were deciding which school to send him to...they had a big poster up with about a million colourful genders on it represented by stick figures..😣

Well Gaelscoileanna are also considered reasonably right on also..! But all are still national schools, same curriculum etc. and all are bound by the same protocols. ET of course involve parents a lot more in the school.

A million colourful genders

We used to call them 'personalities'.

Place marking! GC Parent of two primary school children in Dublin here and very concerned about this. Great post by Earl above.

Also agree with PP who says they come to this board for some mental relief...

Dear God, I'm so glad my children are adults. The sex education classes they had back in the day were good, iirc, very balanced. If mine were school age now I'd be seriously thinking of pulling them out of sex education classes. I'm mid-West, not sure if this has filtered our way yet. If there'd been an ET available in our area I'd have sent mine there. It might not have been my choice now. Good luck OP.

I just don't know what to do if they start to teach this stuff in school. I've put so much energy into trying to break down gender stereotypes at home...also have been starting to have conversations about biology and how babies are made etc etc. If they start teaching this nonsense in school I don't know how to talk to him about it apart from saying that the teacher is mistaken. And what if there is a trans student...and he has to call them she or whatever....do I just say they are pretending to be a girl /boy whatever and we have to go along with it to be kind?!

I’ve said that little Johnny thinks they’re a girl, and that we must be respectful of each other’s beliefs. I’ve made it clear that saying you’re a girl or boy doesn’t make it so, even if that’s what some people believe - a bit like some people believe Jesus saved us, but we don’t.

I’ve also warned my kids not to say a word on the subject at school in case they are given a hard time and to try and Always think carefully about what they are taught and ask themselves if it makes sense.

For those wondering if it’s an issue outside Dublin, I’m aware of these issues cropping up in ET, Catholic girls NS and a Catholic secondary school in my area (Connacht).

Thanks Georgina. Sounds like a good way of putting it. I have said before that we can pretend to be a boy or girl, like the way they pretend to be cats/dogs /tigers etc.
I'm sorry to hear it's reached connacht. I was naively hoping it would only be in dublin so far. I'm in a large parents group on fb and last week they were ranting about jk Rowling and wondering if they should stop reading harry Potter to their kids even tho the kids loved hp etc. It really got me down as there was absolutely no room for discussion and people whose opinions I agree with on other matters were completely on board with the terf rhetoric. I came back here for comfort 😅 I haven't brought this up with any of my real life friends so far.

Well hopefully it won’t be an issue for your kids. I am hoping that being prepared for what is being taught in school might help.

A friend of mine in the UK is having a terrible time with her daughters as she was not aware of what was being taught until both her teenagers suddenly came home and said they were actually boys and started self harming because they couldn’t actually be boys. She feels if she had been made aware of what was being taught she could have got in earlier and managed the situation.

Most of my friends know how I feel but tend to stick their heads in the sand and are all a bit “don’t mention the war” about it.

I wish there was support for GC parents in Ireland along the lines of the Safe Schools Alliance.

That's so sad re your poor friend's daughters. I often think if this stuff had been in vogue when I was growing up I would have questioned if I was trans. Good to hear her perspective though on being prepared.

I think I might turn it back to my childif it happens 'Hmm.. What does that mean that Billy is now a girl?' 'Oh he's wearing a skirt and wants to be called Hilda instead?' I wouldn't mind that and I'd allow children to think for themselves ie they'll see their friend hasn't actually changed or maybe I'm naive. I'm not overly worried as our NS is stuck in the 1970s!

Very outing now if anyone knows of the ins and outs of my school but feck it.

Right. Spoke to chair of the board of management. This isn’t going through this academic year. Likely be early next year.

Further conversations to be had.

Well done!! Plenty of time. You must have gotten through..

No it wasn’t me. It just wasn’t on the agenda yet. They hadn’t seen it.

Well done op.
I'm in contact with other Irish women who were at the women's lib conference on London this summer.
Anyone can send me a PM to let me know about getting in touch with them.

I really think an Ireland organisation needs to be set up. Either all Ireland, or a joint body. As the schools system are totally separate, but meeting in person really does help.

another gc irish woman here. Our school seems safe enough, RC deis school and my GC other half is on the board of management and will not be having it. Since he's male they'll actually listen 😏 and we're known to be lefty atheists so not easy to dismiss us as bigots. My friend's child is in senior infants in the local ET and dhe is freaking out over the "boys can be girls" stuff she's hearing back. 18 months ago she thought i was getting worked up about nothing...

I've sometimes felt we're fucked in this country but resistance is growing, there ARE groups, it's just so many need anonymity until the tide starts to turn. Lots more women are popping up on Twitter since JKR stood up and with the long overdue reporting on the Tavistock questions will be asked.

All you need to set up a group is to meet up with even one other woman you trust and share your concerns, you'll feel supported, emboldened and you'll find more women before long.

Sorry for the hijack!

It's not a hijack at all

Not a hi jack. A welcome suggestion

Now, this is a hijack.
Has anyone read the new programme for government yet?

7 days I have a horrible feeling its something to do with the Greens and lowering the age that children can transition without parental input?

Haven't read it yet. Heather Humphries has replaced Regina Doherty. Wonder where she stands on all this. Might be time for a letter.