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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Gender critical and looking at secondary schools

37 replies

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 12/08/2022 23:24

Never thought I'd ever have to consider any potential secondary schools approach on single sex spaces / teaching my child they can change sec etc.

And now I'm starting to look at secondaries for 2023 intake and in my main list of questions is

  • do you have spaces which are segregated by sex?
  • do you work with Mermaids etc?
  • do you teach the children that they can be born in the wrong body/can change sex

But equally, if I ask these things, it marks me out. And potentially marks my child out.

OP posts:
Handsoffmyrights · 13/08/2022 16:51

Sorry, mermaids on, as far as I'm aware Dophins have not yet been used to symbolise gender magic. Give the fundamentalists time though...

MrsOvertonsWindow · 13/08/2022 16:55

EmbarrassingHadrosaurus · 13/08/2022 11:01

It depends. On odd statistic that stuck with me is the number of looked-after children/young people who present with gender dysphoria in England. They seem to be an over-represented sub-group.

This research investigated the prevalence of looked-after and adopted young people within a case file review of 185 young people referred to a UK gender identity development service over a 2-year period (1 April 2009 to 1 April 2011). Data were extracted from referral letters, clinical notes and clinician letters. Looked-after young people were found to represent 4.9% of referrals in this cohort, which is significantly higher than within the English general population (0.58%). Adopted young people represented 3.8% of referrals. In addition, the findings showed that looked-after young people were less likely to receive a diagnosis of gender dysphoria compared with young people living within their birth family.

journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1359104518791657

It's difficult to get a clear answer on this but I think a substantial number of looked-after children are present in schools in working class areas or those towards the disadvantaged end of the socio-economic quintiles.

Looked after children ( and the institutions / adults who care for them) were one of the cohorts targeted at an early stage by certain trans groups and adults for trans training, policy development and "education".
Why anyone would make a point of targeting this vulnerable group, often with chaotic lives and isolated from their families, one can only imagine Confused

ChristinaXYZ · 13/08/2022 16:56

Have a look and the senior staff names (often available on the website and see if they have social media and check it. Also look on the website for key groups for parents PTA that sort of thing and look at the social media of those parents.

Does the school social media drape itself in flags for the various days, months etc to the exclusion of all the other groups?

Look at the displays on the walls especially in English, history, sociology, politics and even RE classrooms - are there other political beliefs on the walls? - BLM/white privilege etc., with no balancing view suggests generally wokery and staff allowed to teach their politics without hindrance from the leadership. Do they use the words women and girls a lot?

What about science - do biology displays look like they did when you were at school or have they erased women and taken on gender neutral language?

Which books are displayed prominently in the library? Are there political groupings of books? Have they hidden JKR? Is there a feminism section in the older students library and is it just Caitlin Moran is is there a wider range?

Are there posters saying 'be kind' or that hate will not be tolerated (why does that need saying? are they begging the kids to be hateful???) because that suggests a strong identity politics view.

Go in the toilets - you should see the layout with regard to boys / girls. No good if single sex loo is on fourth floor but there are unisex loos everywhere else! No time to go at break. Ask the kids - is there time for the loo at break or between lessons, that might reveal a problem. But also look at the walls and back of loo cubical doors: last school toilet I went in had loads of posters about 'people' checking their breasts for lumps.

Is there an LGBT group? (ask if the clubs are all sports or academic or is there any thing else? That will probably get the answer without you asking directly).

Where do they get their PSHE resources from? Are they written in house or do they buy a scheme in and if so from where? Are they on the school website?

If you are shown round by kids, ask the kids if they have debates and discussions and what on? Do they enjoy them? Have they ever had a discussion that changed their mind about something? Just ask them open questions but the kids might reveal the prejudices of some departments or staff without realising it.

Age of the staff. More middle aged staff members usually mean less wokery.

At open evening they won't know who you are and won't be able to identify your child probably. Many schools have two nights: go round with your child on one evening and round on your own the next and ask the questions then if you really want to keep your child out of it.

There will be loads of clues if you start looking at you go round though - they can't help but give themselves away!

(I'm an ex-teacher, DH is a teacher - he says anyone going round his school would know because of the wall displays)

Handsoffmyrights · 13/08/2022 16:57

There is also a rainbow club and endless posts about how inclusive they are - but seemingly only if you believe in gender mythology.
Red flags everywhere at this school.

MrsOvertonsWindow · 13/08/2022 17:02

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 13/08/2022 16:50

Just sifted through all the online newsletters (though a couple of schools clearly dropped doing them at the pandemic and yet to pick it back up).

The one at dds preferred school (v.v. sports focussed) has an LGBTQ club and the wording on the add says "promoting inclusively especially trans" Hmm and in a back catalogue issue I saw it was ran by a Y10 student who advises not using deadnames etc. Their insta also had someone in recently to talk about diversity and the focus was on trans. So I'm probably going to scrap that one (will still visit).

Other schools no mention at all.

If a school does have an LGBT club (safeguarding nightmare), it's worth asking which adults run the group for heterosexual girls and is there one for straight boys? If not, why not?

Joking of course, but if there are groups focusing on sexuality, it's perfectly reasonable to ask a) what safeguarding systems / adult supervision they have to ensure age appropriate discussions about sexuality and b) how do they ensure that the school is not in breach of the DfE guidelines on partisan political views (eg, that people can change sex etc).

TeenDivided · 13/08/2022 18:34

I'd be tempted to ask neutrally 'what are your policies regarding trans identifying children' and see what they say.

You do need to ask your questions of the right person though, so you need to identify the member of the SLT responsible for pastoral care and/or safeguarding (should be on the website) and find them to ask.

If a school seems otherwise good, then it is worth doing a dialogue with them pointing them at latest info to see if they take it on board.

WhiteFire · 14/08/2022 19:10

If this is your first time applying for secondary bear in mind that it is often an illusion of choice. Make sure you have your 'banker" school somewhere even if they are down the rabbit hole as if you don't get any of your choices you could find yourself in a much worse position.

I'm starting the process again this year. Dd2 will just be going to the same school as the other two though. (Sibling link plus seeing the school from our house makes it a certainty)

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 14/08/2022 19:15

WhiteFire · 14/08/2022 19:10

If this is your first time applying for secondary bear in mind that it is often an illusion of choice. Make sure you have your 'banker" school somewhere even if they are down the rabbit hole as if you don't get any of your choices you could find yourself in a much worse position.

I'm starting the process again this year. Dd2 will just be going to the same school as the other two though. (Sibling link plus seeing the school from our house makes it a certainty)

Yeah the main feeder for the current primary is a good school and I'll happily send dc there. Our actual preference is a school that is not applied to via the LEA 3 option form, so it's almost a bonus application.

I'm pretty sure we will end up putting the feeder as option 1 purely for the fact its most likely (and seems good enough).

OP posts:
DysonSphere · 14/08/2022 19:42

This thread ought to be pinned to the feminisim board. If schools start realising parents are considering how much they are penetrated by Gender Woo when considering where to send their children, they may start to reconsider seeking advice from 'charities' like Mermaids.

WhiteFire · 14/08/2022 20:47

DysonSphere · 14/08/2022 19:42

This thread ought to be pinned to the feminisim board. If schools start realising parents are considering how much they are penetrated by Gender Woo when considering where to send their children, they may start to reconsider seeking advice from 'charities' like Mermaids.

I honestly think you are over estimating how much thought the majority of parents have about their school choices. Some will just pick the local school because that is where everyone else sends their children, some pretty much have no choice especially in more rural areas, you may have very little chance of getting into any other school than your catchment / admission zone school etc.

Even if some parents eschew a particular school over this, there is likely to be many more who won't.

As I said previously it is often an illusion of choice, in my authority, I have 3 schools in an academy chain which I would avoid as much as I could, 1 Catholic school, 1 that no one really wants, 1 school with a lottery admission and then 2 others. So not that great. (The academy chain schools are fine, just I have many issues with them)

DysonSphere · 15/08/2022 10:04

WhiteFire · 14/08/2022 20:47

I honestly think you are over estimating how much thought the majority of parents have about their school choices. Some will just pick the local school because that is where everyone else sends their children, some pretty much have no choice especially in more rural areas, you may have very little chance of getting into any other school than your catchment / admission zone school etc.

Even if some parents eschew a particular school over this, there is likely to be many more who won't.

As I said previously it is often an illusion of choice, in my authority, I have 3 schools in an academy chain which I would avoid as much as I could, 1 Catholic school, 1 that no one really wants, 1 school with a lottery admission and then 2 others. So not that great. (The academy chain schools are fine, just I have many issues with them)

Yes, I see your point

MsFogi · 15/08/2022 10:44

Take a look at their policies (they should all be online) to see if they refer to sex or gender and also see what they say about protected characteristics (if they somehow mix self-id in there - that will give you a clue as to how on the ball the senior leadership team and governors are (and if they are plastered with self-id stuff/gender rather than sex that will show you they are either going for woke or clueless and being led by Stonewall/other lobby group publications).

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