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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Boys school, no longer referring to students as boys

15 replies

FanFckingTastic · 20/09/2021 22:23

My DS attends a single sex school. He tells me that a few of his teachers have commented that they can no longer refer to the boys as...well boys! Apparently they can't call them Gents, Chaps, Lads etc either. Acceptable terms are now 'Students' or the more interesting 'Gentlefolk' I've not seen any communication from the school on this and just feel slightly concerned that the word boy (or any variation of this) is now considered to be a dirty word. DS feels a bit confused as all the students at his school are biological boys and it's a boy's school. If he's not a boy then what is he?

He's miffed enough to want to speak to his form tutor about the change in language, which I encourage. He's genuinely being inquisitive and wanting to understand, but also wants to challenge the notion that as a collective the children at his school are not boys - the definition of which is male children. I'd also quite like to speak to the school about this. Anybody come across this situation before and how to handle it?

OP posts:
Alarmclockstop · 20/09/2021 22:27

I wonder if it's the school my lads go to, now being taught gender orientation.

ButterflyAway · 20/09/2021 22:29

Is this tongue in cheek? I find it hard to tell on the internet and the erasure of female language is well documented on these boards.

MissLucyEyelesbarrow · 20/09/2021 22:29

Doubly ridiculous since, as it's a boys' school, any trans children who choose to attend will identify as male, and want to be called boys. Biological males who identify as female aren't going to want to attend a boys' school.

Gentlefolk is particularly bizarre. And so triggering for anyone who identifies as common 😉

FanFckingTastic · 20/09/2021 22:33

@ButterflyAway I wish it was tongue in cheek! I just need to figure out how to approach this.

OP posts:
OneEpisode · 20/09/2021 22:39

As pp said gentlefolk is strange.

Students is quite sensible for a secondary school.. if some pupils will be 18 at the school encouraging responsibility is good, surely?

Leafstamp · 20/09/2021 22:39

Well done to your son. I think asking polite questions is the way to go - like the one in your OP: if he is not a boy what is he? School need to be able to explain this. What is the/a noun that can be used to describe male children?

Good luck and let us know how you both get on.

EmbarrassingAdmissions · 20/09/2021 23:13

Safe Schools Alliance might have some helpful material for you.

safeschoolsallianceuk.net/

Other organisations listed here:

gcritical.org/introduction/

puffylovett · 20/09/2021 23:18

Oh dear! My boys both attend a single sex school and they are very aware (and would probably be very vocal) about this sort of stuff. They’re getting increasingly frustrated with the whole PC-ness and they’re only 11 and 14! I haven’t heard of anything like this at theirs but fear that it’s coming!

CiaoForNiao · 20/09/2021 23:22

Surely it should be gentlefolx? The woke brigade like to randomly use an x on the end of a word.

anaily · 21/09/2021 00:48

1st world problems. Send a stern email saying it makes you uncomfortable that they introduced inclusive neutral language, and that they should go back to traditional language or you'll sue them, send a legal threat, that seems to be the norm here.

Guineapigbridge · 21/09/2021 00:56

PMSL

Ridiculous.

anaily · 21/09/2021 01:07

Damn right it's ridiculous! How dare they not use the word chaps, what next? Childrenfolk? Childfolx? Send those legal threats in before it's too late. Our chaps need us. I mean childrenfolx!

CraftMaker · 21/09/2021 01:13

Gentlefolk?!? They have clearly not visited my DS's school Grin.

anaily · 21/09/2021 01:23

Roughfolk can be used for non gentlefolk.

NiceGerbil · 21/09/2021 01:54

Eh? Lol. Really?

Do they have girls in 6th form? In which case the teachers getting away from habit of saying boys and the boys being used to it I can maybe see an argument for but it's not strong and all I've got!

Gentlefolk??? Come on. You can't be serious!

If so their priority needs to be moving away from the 18th century or whenever Grin

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