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.

DSs school is all boys up until 6th . They have a head boy and head girl.

How long ago was that @beatrice14? Were you a teacher or pupil?

Sorry, you must have been a pupil!

If it's anything like the private girls school near me there will be about 5 "boys" in every class. It's spreading like wildfire. No idea if it's more common in all girls schools or not?

I'm not sure any of this is exclusive to SPGS. Dcs' school has prefects, senior prefects and two head prefects but no Head Girl/Head Boy. Heads of SPGS & SPS have always been called High Master/Mistress so no confusion within the school.

Theee will be a tipping point - we have seen this before. Heaven knows what will Come next.

DD's school has a head boy and head girl, it makes it fair. If they elect 2 head pupils instead then girls could lose out.
Unfortunately gender ID is rampant at her school, the school itself is sensible so far - the one transgirl has a key to the staff toilets and has her own changing room, her parents wanted her to use the girls. But so many kids who have really random pronouns (not even, they/them, but really random things) and expect the teachers to use their new names which change every 5 mins. Many of them have a whole list of labels, agender, aromatic, the girls who previously were just lesbian are now all non binary. It must be exhausting for the teachers.

@Pinchoftums

If it's anything like the private girls school near me there will be about 5 "boys" in every class. It's spreading like wildfire. No idea if it's more common in all girls schools or not?

I think it's the private rather than the girls which is the key factor. I teach at a girls' school with a very different demographic and there aren't any trans students.

23mellicauli. Said.....
"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."

Watch this space.🙄

Luxury beliefs

@Grellbunt

Luxury beliefs

It does seem to be a belief that is more prevalent in these schools.

Meanwhile, the Scottish school system is taking the same path.
www.thetimes.co.uk/article/6472c9ea-d13d-11eb-8a5e-31fa624156c6?shareToken=f34ce327c94302afcb7702df789be8ec

Interesting

I had thought ESMS were managing to resist this

Sad to read. I'd understand a school not having a Head Boy and Head Girl (or just one if not co-ed), or a co-ed school having just one person to represent the school, but not this.

@merrymouse

Yes. The name of the school is also archaic.

Except it is literally a school for girls, set up because they aren’t allowed to attend the boy’s school over the river.

See also GDST - Girls’ Day School Trust.

Single sex education is specifically allowed in equalities legislation. You don’t have to agree with it, but I wouldn’t expect single sex schools to be embarrassed about it.

I agree. I went to an all girls school. I find it hard to believe that anyone thinks sixth formers are women for start. Also I agree that an all female environment cushions you against sexism. I found that comment interesting as I had never thought of that before. I was happy to be in a female school, but now I can see that I was extremely naive for a long time afterwards, about sexism in society, because I hadn’t experienced it. All my teachers were women until the sixth form when the first ever male teacher arrived. There was a definite focus on science in the school, girls were encouraged to go into more traditionally male fields without that ever being stated, so I had no sense of male or female areas of expertise. I had always thought how good that was, now that one comment has made me see the drawbacks too.

Schools like this should be talking to girls about gender and how regressive it is to hold onto gender boxes, not bringing in two male “butterflies” to reinforce them.

Well, given that the boys’ school has a High Master who is a woman, I cannot see why the girls’ school cannot have a Head Girl who is a trans boy?

Complete lack of spine. The exact opposite behaviour to what I would expect from SPGS. But equally, it is obvious that a school like this would be a prime target for TRAs: they have been picking off anything significant for women - Girl Guides, Hampstead Ladies Pond, rugby - it’s a deliberate strategy to go for the highest profile thing in a group because if you turn that one, then everything else falls.

I am offended by the teacher suggesting parents are ill-educated or unread on the topic. Any MN FWR member knows more than she does.

@Grellbunt

Interesting

I had thought ESMS were managing to resist this

I had thought this as well but they are now full on LGBTYS:

www.esms.org.uk/supporting-lgbt-mary-erskine-school-and-esms

Would be interesting to see their new Trans Protocol Policy and know if they affirm pupils as the opposite sex without telling the parents or against parental wishes.

@WorkingItOutAsIGo

Well, given that the boys’ school has a High Master who is a woman, I cannot see why the girls’ school cannot have a Head Girl who is a trans boy?

Complete lack of spine. The exact opposite behaviour to what I would expect from SPGS. But equally, it is obvious that a school like this would be a prime target for TRAs: they have been picking off anything significant for women - Girl Guides, Hampstead Ladies Pond, rugby - it’s a deliberate strategy to go for the highest profile thing in a group because if you turn that one, then everything else falls.

I am offended by the teacher suggesting parents are ill-educated or unread on the topic. Any MN FWR member knows more than she does.

Totally agree.

@saraclara

I think Head of School is a far better term than Head Girl

We don't have Headmasters and Headmistresses any more (in the state sector at least) and sex-defined role titles have been seen as archaic and wrong for decades. Also an 18 year old is a young woman.

The

St Paul's is run by a "High Mistress"

St Paul's is run by a "High Mistress"

As I said. Archaic.

I think “ High Mistress” is great.

Wasn’t that the name of the dominatrix who took her ‘client’ to Victoria Station on a leash...

I am offended by the teacher suggesting parents are ill-educated or unread on the topic. Any MN FWR member knows more than she does.

Agree.

I am offended by the teacher suggesting parents are ill-educated or unread on the topic. Any MN FWR member knows more than she does.

Without a doubt. Far more.

I'm 15 and currently in Year 10 there.

The science teacher and Trans Youth stuff happened this year, although they started the gender stuff with pronouns and names back in 2017- I think.