Primary school are reinforcing gender stereotypes

[firsttimer20]

Looking for advice from anyone working in gender/political/education space.

The primary school my kids attend has just released the new inspirational names that each class will be named after. Only 3 of the 10 names are women.

I asked why this was the case and why there wasn't a 50/50 split for inspirational men and women. The school replied to say that it was left upto the kids to choose and as it was an exercise in democracy, they didn't want to interfere with what was chosen.

There are millions of reasons why men's names will appear more regularly (with nothing to do with men being more talented), but I feel so strongly that the school should have approached this exercise through a framework where gender was considered. Gender equality is becoming more important, not less and I shouldn't have to be having this fight on behalf of a 3 and a 4 year old.

So my question to you dear mumsnetters, is whether there are any organisations that work in this area which could provide a framework to my school to approach this. If a simple framework does exist that they should have followed?

Also, to anyone more articulate than me, I'd love to hear why you think this is important, not just for girls but for boys as well. I'll then add it to my response to the school.

"You can't be what you can't see" is a useful slogan.

Basically the school set the competition up wrong. They should have asked the kids to nominate famous men and famous women, had 2 separate lists, told the kids from the outset they were voting for people from the two lists, and used the top 5 in each list.

They know they've dropped a clanger - all this "well it's what the kids voted for" nonsense is a spurious justification. Any adult with experience of children knows that's why you don't ask open ended questions unless you're sure you can handle the answer (hence "do you want rice crispies or cornflakes?" not "what do you want for breakfast?")

Have they covered BAME and disability?

Perhaps suggest they remove 3 of the men and replace with e.g
Rosa Parks
Dame Tanni Grey Thompson
etc

@DianasLasso

"You can't be what you can't see" is a useful slogan.

Basically the school set the competition up wrong. They should have asked the kids to nominate famous men and famous women, had 2 separate lists, told the kids from the outset they were voting for people from the two lists, and used the top 5 in each list.

They know they've dropped a clanger - all this "well it's what the kids voted for" nonsense is a spurious justification. Any adult with experience of children knows that's why you don't ask open ended questions unless you're sure you can handle the answer (hence "do you want rice crispies or cornflakes?" not "what do you want for breakfast?")

Yes I agree with this. I'm trying to find gender imbalances in the classroom and at what age boys voices start to become more dominant over girls.

I remember JK Rowling saying that she couldn't use her own real name because there was evidence to proove that boys would be less interested in her books if they knew she was a girl.

pre-School . Is that a Francis Drake - Walter Raleigh mash up?

At least they have Stevie Wonder, he'll cover BAME and disability.

Shame no JKRowling.

I agree with 'You can't be what you can't see.' DH is running a schools literacy programme next year, working with Yr5s and introducing them to six new books a year. I had to point out that none of them were by women. He said he hadn't chosen the poems yet so would see if he could find an anthology with women in it. FFS. I reeled off a very long list of excellent books for Yr5s by brilliant female authors who he hadn't read. What he doesn't realise but should, what those teachers don't realise but should is that there is a quietly pernicious message: Not you. This level of success does not apply to you. People like you are not this creative, noted, worthy of wider attention. I am pretty shocked the teachers are letting this slide.

Not often you see Leonardo Da Vinci and David Beckham in the same list!

Also, am I being cynical to suggest that year two children (6-7 year old) didn't choose Mae Jemison (who?) of their own accord.

Op- I just completed my dissertation on gender neutral pedagogy with my emphasis focused on addressing and eradicating the entrenched sex stereotype s that are being taught to our dc. Quite often teachers ha e an unconscious bias and it really impacts our children’s learning experience.
I recommend

www.amazon.co.uk/Gender-Equality-Primary-Schools-Teachers/dp/1785923404/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=gender+equality+in+primary+schools&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1600091070&sr=8-1

And

www.amazon.co.uk/Girls-Primary-Classroom-Christine-Skelton/dp/0335211550/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=boys+and+girls+in+the+primary+classroom&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1600091162&sr=8-1

Well done op for addressing this issue.

I was at an all girls prep school. Our houses were:
Edith Cavell
Elizabeth Fry
Helen Keller
Madame Curie

• 2 others also named after women I can't currently recall.

Each house board had a little shelf with the relevant Ladybird Book on it.

I am so depressed by this. I thought this had all been sorted 20 odd years ago. There is simply no excuse, none. Suggest they view the TV programme 'No more boys and girls ' at their next Inset day.

@IheartJKR

Op- I just completed my dissertation on gender neutral pedagogy with my emphasis focused on addressing and eradicating the entrenched sex stereotype s that are being taught to our dc. Quite often teachers ha e an unconscious bias and it really impacts our children’s learning experience. I recommend

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And

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Well done op for addressing this issue.

Fascinating, thank you. I started but didn't complete a PhD in gender and education but my memory is v rusty. Thank you for sharing this.

ukfeminista.org.uk/resources/primary/
UK feminista are concerned with sexism in education they've done a good report but it focuses predominantly on secondary schools.

Grace Darling wasn’t a historian; she helped rescue some survivors from a shipwreck. And Mae Jemison is best known for being an astronaut rather than a scientist. That is such a weird list.

Maybe donate some books to the school library? Fantastically Great Women Boxed Set: Gift Editions www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1526610647/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Xw5xFbW1PGMXW?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

Hi OP, there are a lot of people working in this area. One place for the school to start could be to watch this: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09202lp (it might be on youtube). It's good because it shows how it impacts on attainment and shows a single teacher tackling it in his classroom. Graham Andre (the teacher in the doc) also has a book out.
There is the Gender Action Schools award here: www.genderaction.co.uk which is great- probably a good place to start is their website as it has a lot of resources.
UK feminista is great but more about student led activism- what you need is the leadership to understand they will limit boys' achievement in literacy and girls' in STEM unless tackled.

Feel free to PM if you want any more advice, I used to do this for a living!

On the plus side, that list has given me a right chuckle. What a random combination of people! And the preschool class name I'd love to know how exactly they came to these 10 names, especially the one who doesn't actually exist...

I'm very sceptical that this was all down to "democracy" anyway, but it would have been far more appropriate for the children to brainstorm names, then for an adult to make up a male and female longlist to vote from (with a good amount of diversity thrown in).

Walter Drake? Is that Francis Drake or Walter Raleigh? Which ever it is, it’s an oddly tone deaf choice to make right now. Our school is debating removing the name of Drake from one of the houses because of his status as an early slave trader. Whether you think that’s the right action or not, I don’t think I would set out to name a pre school after him right now.

Some of those names are quite surprising....

Glad Grace Darling made the list, are you in the North East - if not that is so random!

Grace Darling is great RandomMess, recently read the book about her by Helen Cresswell to my kids.

What about a petition by the children- particularly the girls..?

Agree with your stance. This should have gone out with the stone age.

Primary ages children love Space A what about Helen Sharman - the first Brit in space. Inspirational for boys and girls.

@myworkingtitle

Grace Darling is great RandomMess, recently read the book about her by Helen Cresswell to my kids.

I still vividly remember our teacher reading us the story of Grace Darling back in the 1970s!

Sorry about the thumbs.

Should read:

Primary aged children love space. What about Helen Sharman - the first Brit in space. Inspirational for boys and girls.

Our school finally scrapped the house name Edward Colston-in a school where 85% are BAME students!

This is great thread. Getting som3 ideas from it