St Pauls School ditches the title "Head Girl" - The Times 19/06/21

[Melroses]

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/f707e7ac-d068-11eb-9bfa-a3bc386e6928?shareToken=e18c13082af7a98763f997219209b04c

An interesting follow up on Twitter:

twitter.com/TimesLucy/status/1406185779278368771

St Pauls School staff has received training which includes safeguarding advice, along with other independent girls' schools, from a company that is run by 2 late transitioners which exists to bring awareness of trans and non binary to the business sector.

That’s so sad. Girls schools should be championing women not pushing aside their sex as if it is an inconvenience and something to be ashamed of.

Whilst there were many issues with my all-girls primary school, I do credit that environment for escaping harmful early gender socialisation that girls should act a certain way.

When I emerged into a mixed sex school st 12 I couldn’t understand why the girls deferred to the boys. The socialisation differences were quite alien to me. Why did the girls stand at the side of the playground and not join in? Why did they not speak up in class? Why did they not put themselves forward for team captain in sport or drama or whatever?

Whilst there were many issues with my all-girls primary school, I do credit that environment for escaping harmful early gender socialisation that girls should act a certain way

Do you think this is what's happened here - the girls are so used to a uniquely female environment that they do not realise the sexism and misogyny that happens in the real world outside of that?

It's a funny position to take.

I mean - they have the word Girls' in the title of their school. No doubt you have to be a girl to get in.

But somehow you can't be a head girl because that somehow is not inclusive (but the school title and criteria are all just fine).

We should be taking more notice of Global Butterflies. All the focus gets put on Stonewall but this org also have very high profile clients. The fact they are also venturing into schools specifically all girl schools is concerning.

Having followed your link, I see it's two late transitioners who are trans women. As one of the replies to Lucy Bannerman says, what is their expertise on being a teenage girl experiencing gender dysphoria? Allegedly they also provide menopause training.

I was reading on the comments that people are willing to spend the large sums of money on St Pauls because their girls will have the opportunity of sailing through their 20s and 30s.

It is an excellent way of getting gender ideology into mainstream - these girls have the benefits of a financial cushion and are away from everyday socialisation with men, will go onto big careers.

“The LGBTQI world is an amazing rainbow of positivity and labels. We love labels. We love terminology, we love flags, we love parties,” Cusdin told staff.

How can anybody take this person seriously? How is this in any way compatible with the school's statement? “Our students are open minded, intelligent and articulate, engaged as they should be in the debates of the modern world. Enabling them to grow in confidence and to understand the change that can be made through respectful, reasoned discussion is the root of their empowerment as young women.

@FricasseeTurnips maybe. Certainly these girls are (generally) extremely privileged (economically, intellectually and with family support) and are as-yet unlikely to have experienced much harmful sexism.

Literally 'girls know your place'.

If the head girl's going to be 'head of school' what's the actual head of school going to be called? Or is she abdicating?

I'd love to say more more but I'd better not.

Early adopters there too. I read a report years ago that they had 10+ trans sixth formers. All female school, very high pressure environment, no uniform (ever, or not for decades, anyway).

@OvaHere

We should be taking more notice of Global Butterflies. All the focus gets put on Stonewall but this org also have very high profile clients. The fact they are also venturing into schools specifically all girl schools is concerning.

Agreed

@FricasseeTurnips

Whilst there were many issues with my all-girls primary school, I do credit that environment for escaping harmful early gender socialisation that girls should act a certain way

Do you think this is what's happened here - the girls are so used to a uniquely female environment that they do not realise the sexism and misogyny that happens in the real world outside of that?

Totally

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g

Having followed your link, I see it's two late transitioners who are trans women. As one of the replies to Lucy Bannerman says, what is their expertise on being a teenage girl experiencing gender dysphoria? Allegedly they also provide menopause training.

WTAF is going on. It absolutely beggars belief.

Agreed re: Global Butterflies. Very much under the radar and very very present in law firms in particular. Had no idea they were in schools. Also involved in creating the diversity guide for legislation, which (rightly) sets guidelines for the civil service about drafting legislation without male pronouns. Interested me because it was two diversity organisations (one of which, Global Butterflies, was a trans organisation) who advised on the document; not a women’s organisation.

Suits law firms to have "women" who won't have kids

Transmen and transwomen fit that criteria perfectly

I have a fair few friends from schools like these. Intelligent, highly successful women, amazing jobs, loads of both earned and family money, incredibly confident.

They are - generalisation - largely ‘feminists’ in a “porn is liberating, sex work is work, TWAW, be kind, it’s our fault for not speaking out about sexual assault ’ way.

They don’t seem to recognise that their experience as a women is quite rare, and that women from less privileged circumstances experience a lot more harm from all those things. It’s difficult.

Re St Paul’s… they take girls, obviously. If girls identify as male - they can stay? What about boys identifying as girls? Can they join? What do the school actually define as a girl?

We should be taking more notice of Global Butterflies. All the focus gets put on Stonewall but this org also have very high profile clients. The fact they are also venturing into schools specifically all girl schools is concerning.

Very good point, OvaHere. I hadn’t heard of Global Butterflies, although I am interested in this issue. They’re obviously clever about keeping out of the news. Very disturbing.

'Asked how teachers should deal with “non- accepting parents”, Semple said: “I think a lot of the time when we’re working with parents they haven’t had access to the same material and training and education brainwashing that we as teachers have had. So I think there’s an element of supporting parents with education.”'

Difficult to understand how this demonstrates anything other than stupidity.

It is not an inclusive school. Apart from anything else it discriminates on grounds of ability and parental income.

If the school wants to be co-ed it should go ahead. However, if it is still sees value in providing education for girls it shouldn’t treat the word ‘girl’ as distasteful or imply that girls who don’t comply with a stereotype are not girls.

We should be taking more notice of Global Butterflies. All the focus gets put on Stonewall but this org also have very high profile clients. The fact they are also venturing into schools specifically all girl schools is concerning

Yes

In any school, I think that 'Head of School' is just fine. Btw, I have children at single sex private schools. I'm sure I will be flamed on here

Schools inclusion alliance seems to be targeted at the private schools. I guess this is where a power grab is perceived.

www.schoolsinclusionalliance.co.uk/#

@LesLavandes

In any school, I think that 'Head of School' is just fine. Btw, I have children at single sex private schools. I'm sure I will be flamed on here

Sure Head of school is fine and dandy if that’s what was decided upon - but what’s wrong with head girl/boy? Why require a change?

@LesLavandes

In any school, I think that 'Head of School' is just fine. Btw, I have children at single sex private schools. I'm sure I will be flamed on here

It might not seem like a big deal in isolation but what are the motivations behind it? Is it really for the benefit of the female pupils?

Or is it for the benefit of people who want the language that women and girls have to describe ourselves decoupled from biological sex?