Welsh government consultation on RSE closes 16th July

[Berthatydfil]

Can’t see another thread.
safeschoolsallianceuk.net/2021/06/26/welsh-rse-consultation-closes-16th-july/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

There's also this from Merched Cymru: merchedcymru.wales/rse/

(Also some great flyers to print to spread the word at the bottom of the page)

Done

Thanks.

For the evening crowd

Done.

I've responded. The questions are a bit odd - it just wants you to say whether you think the proposal is clear - its clarity isn't what I want to comment on!

I've said I think the proposed guidance places schools in an impossible position, and fails to give adequate support on how to handle the inevitable conflicts which will arise. It's a recipe for a lot of conflict, and leaves teachers/schools very exposed, I think. (Would be very interested to hear a teacher's perspective on this.)

So I focused on the fact that the guidance reiterates that RSE must be pluralistic (which is good, of course), but also encourages schools to use external specialist resources, without any guidance at all on how to select suitable resources. Most of the 'specialists' that schools might reasonably trust in this area (Stonewall et al) do not just promote a specific view of gender identity (which they're entitled to do) they also condemn other perspectives as hateful, and campaign to silence them. Using such resources can't possibly fulfil a requirement to be pluralistic. There needs to be criteria, and preferably a list of approved resources, to ensure that all resources used accurately represent a range of different views, don't indoctrinate children into a specific perspective, don't reinforce gender stereotypes or suggest that following/not following stereotypes might mean a child is transgender etc

The guidance also tells schools that "School policy should lay out themes and how potentially sensitive issues should be dealt with" but gives them no guidance on how they might do so. This sounds like a recipe for disaster.

I've also said I think parents need to have a right to see the resources used. (Some of the stuff dd has come home with so far has been quite off the wall, but it's quite challenging to work out what she's got from school, and what's instagram)

I really wonder how schools are navigating this at the moment. After dd's last RSE lesson, we had a conversation where I was struggling to tell whether she still knew which of two transgender people who had sex was the one who might get pregnant. I mean, I'm sure she does know, but she also now knows that she's not allowed to admit that she knows. Leaving teenagers without a vocabulary for the people who might risk pregnancy when they have sex (the group formerly known as female) seems like a pretty appalling outcome of an RSE lesson.

I'm also pretty sure she'd have condemned a human biology lesson which labelled male and female genitalia as transphobic as well. Not sure how teachers are navigating that.

I made the mistake of assuming what they had been taught.

Highly selective school.

Big mistake.

Every parent: Ask! BEFORE they are given the lesson.

Bump! Not long to go.

Will do this tonight.

On the subject of asking about resources. I contacted dd's school back in March, chased last week. Still no response. Short of camping out outside the school until they talk to me I'm not sure what to do.

Thanks. Will do this tonight.

I've also emailed my constituency MS. Will try and get to the regional ones tonight.

I'm enjoying all the

@ValancyRedfern I asked dds school and was referred to the website 'where you can find all our policies' and told that the RSE policy would be reviewed in the light of the new guidance under development. Which is how I found out about the consultation.

The proposed guidance will only give parents the right to see the policies, not any actual content, so the kind of non-answer above will be all we're entitled to ask for, unfortunately. Again, the guidance is leading schools right into conflict with parents, as I for one won't be happy to be fobbed off this way. If schools are going to be using resources that go so far beyond the factual I'd really like to know what they are.

Dds recent lesson sounded like it was full of some very odd stuff, but it was very hard to get a sense of it as she was evasive. She knew she didn't really understand it and couldn't really explain or defend it, so got quite upset when we asked questions. (Honestly, just questions about what the lesson had covered, nothing hostile!) It did appear to include some kind of coloured-flag gender identity menu... She seemed very well informed about what flag related to what.

Just done mine and helped 3 family members to get off their bottoms and complete it. If this goes through our kids are at serious risk.

You don't need to be in Wales to respond by the way. MC are suggesting that if you are really up against it for time, just complete Q10 (free text box).

And if you are really really up against it, just copy and paste their 5 demands:
I wholeheartedly endorse Merched Cymru's call for:

1. High quality, age appropriate, scientifically accurate information for all children and young people to enable them to fulfill their potential, and live and love safely and healthily whatever their background or protected characteristics.
2. An end to the conflation of the terms sex and gender, the appropriation of inaccurate terminology, and to the confusion of objective facts with the subjective beliefs some people find helpful when coping with their everyday lives and making sense of their feelings.
3. Provision to address the impact of biological sex, sexism and stereotyping on boys and girls, along with a focus on addressing the additional barriers, harassment, discrimination and risk of harm experienced by girls and young women because they are female. For older children this.
4. Clear guidance for schools and youth groups - as already provided by the DfE in England - to enable them to judge what is and isn't appropriate for inclusion in the lessons to deliver the RSE curriculum.
5. A central list of approved resources and organisations which comply with the Guidance and Code. This should be held at either a Wales-wide or local authority level to ensure that materials, lesson plans, partner organisations and trainers have been vetted and DBS checked in line with safeguarding best practice.

Diolch!

Thanks Older, I just did mine but having seen your points list I will ask family members to submit using those.

Bloody shocking stuff, thank god for Safe Schools Alliance!

I'm in the process of doing it for the second time (for a group), and I cannot wait till I've got it in.
DH, despite my nagging hasn't done it yet, so I might well suggest he does the hack that you've suggested @olderbadger1, thank you!

English, Scottish and Northern Ireland MNetters.

You don't need to be in Wales to respond by the way.

Oh now I know what that argument in the playground was about, and why the teacher kept saying but it's compulsory next year, and the parent kept shouting well they won't be in on those days 😳

Most likely. Yes.

Great points foodfiend - might just go and nudge another friend (ex-teacher) to point out the potential for confusion and conflict.

Can't believe that our government is so wall-eyed on this subject (well I sort-of can since they have been entirely consistent in that regard).

Just noticed a weird error on item 3 from the Merched Cymru list. Here's the correct version...

And a reminder that you don't need to be in Wales to respond.

I wholeheartedly endorse Merched Cymru's call for:

1. High quality, age appropriate, scientifically accurate information for all children and young people to enable them to fulfill their potential, and live and love safely and healthily whatever their background or protected characteristics.
2. An end to the conflation of the terms sex and gender, the appropriation of inaccurate terminology, and to the confusion of objective facts with the subjective beliefs some people find helpful when coping with their everyday lives and making sense of their feelings.
3. Provision to address the impact of biological sex, sexism and stereotyping on boys and girls, along with a focus on addressing the additional barriers, harassment, discrimination and risk of harm experienced by girls and young women because they are female.
4. Clear guidance for schools and youth groups - as already provided by the DfE in England - to enable them to judge what is and isn't appropriate for inclusion in the lessons to deliver the RSE curriculum.
5. A central list of approved resources and organisations which comply with the Guidance and Code. This should be held at either a Wales-wide or local authority level to ensure that materials, lesson plans, partner organisations and trainers have been vetted and DBS checked in line with safeguarding best practice.