Kemi Badenoch letter to OFSTED re Rye college

[LurkingInTheAtrium]

Key paragraphs:

"As you will be aware, the UK courts have ruled that gender critical beliefs – the belief that sex is biological and immutable, that people cannot change their sex and that sex is distinct from gender-identity – are classed as a philosophical belief worthy of respect in a democratic society and are therefore a protected characteristic under section 10 of the Equality Act 2010. Through her behaviour, including her assertion that the pupils’ beliefs were ‘despicable’, my view is that the teacher was not acting in a way consistent with the Equality Act’s requirements upon schools, nor in accordance with Ofsted’s Education Inspection Framework’s requirements to promote respect for the different protected characteristics as defined in law.

In addition, by apparently teaching contested political beliefs as fact – including that there are ‘lots of genders’ or that ‘gender is not linked to the parts that you were born with’ – beliefs which are both politically controversial and have no scientific basis – it appears to me that the teacher was in breach of the political impartiality requirements set out in Articles 406 and 407 of the Education Act 1996."

Go Kemi!

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/letter-from-minister-for-women-and-equalities-to-the-ofsted-chief-inspector?

SirSamVimesCityWatch I suspect that in the meeting with the DfE, they will have been referred to the current statutory guidance that stipulates they need to be consulting with parents on the content of these lessons. Plus, they've probably been contacted by lots of concerned parents so it makes sense to have a plan to address the concerns.

It's just unfortunate that in the context of what's happened already, and the fact that they allude to the lack of guidance from the government in the letter, inviting parental input now makes it sound like they're saying "well, we're out of ideas...anyone?"

that letter is mealy mouthed and if i were a parent i would be looking for assurances that no teacher would talk to any of the students like that ever again.

Interesting they are seeking parental views. The cynic in me says they are hoping to get lots of support from parents on this so that they can argue they are 'serving their school community' who all believe in catgender.

Yes. My thoughts too

well, we're out of ideas...anyone?

This as well

I am meeting more and more teachers who do not agree with all this bs but aren't as clear about some of the nuances, or rather, how to articulate them clearly while there's a lack of any guidance.

Things like NO are being bought in by LEAs and trusts for schools. The nhs can find some of the lgbtq charity quality marks. LAs and the nhs are supposed to be the experts.

Schools are completely brainwashed

It's rock and hard place form their pov as KCSIE specifically mentions peer on peer abuse including homophobia and transphobia.

Not really, only if you define 'transphobia' as 'anything that makes someone who identifies as trans in any way uncomfortable' such as the reality of two sexes in humans which is clearly lunacy. Transphobia isn't respectfully putting forward a different view about how many sexes there are or whether you should be compelled to validate a 'cat' gender identity in someone who is clearly not a cat. The girls in this recording even say that - that they want to respectfully state their own opinion. It's not transphobic to say what you see.

KCSIE also says this:

"Emotional abuse: the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and adverse effects on the child’s emotional development. It may involve conveying to a child that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person. It may include not giving the child opportunities to express their views, deliberately silencing them or ‘making fun’ of what they say or how they communicate. It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate 9 expectations being imposed on children."

Bolding mine - but this has been going on - emotional abuse of children - under the promotion of gender ideology for years.

It is completely inappropriate for a government minister to interfere with an operational matter in this way. Their job is to sort the big picture out so this shit can't happen.

One of the ways you sort out the big picture, when institutional capture has got so far as it has (yes, for which the Tories are culpable), is by making examples in individual cases.

It's shit for the schools and teachers involved because as we all know this is happening up and down the country, it's just that it's rare for children to have as much presence of mind and composure and ability to push back as these brave girls. So, yes, they are being singled out.

But they are part of the problem which is pushing vulnerable children down a virtually irreversible pathway to drugs and surgery, sterilisation and loss of sexual function. Many of these children will come out of the other end in their mid 20s realising they are changed for life (sometimes with pain, trauma etc) and it solved nothing and they'd been sold a lie.

It's abusive. These schools are being abusive, breaching safeguarding. Something needs to happen for a course correction and scapegoating the odd school is as good a way as any. My sympathy is mainly reserved for the children harmed - not just those physically harmed but the mental harm for all the other children subject to coercive control and gaslighting in schools. The ones not as brave or sure of themselves as these young girls.

I love Kemi.

It's a shame (just for her specifically) that her party will likely not be in power after the next GE because we need more like her.

Absolutely - this nonsense needs washing out of all presentations whether in education or the workplace.

You are completely right.

I'm speaking from how this gets interpreted in schools culturally.

This is a school wide culture issue, fed by charities etc and also backed up by some CAHMS and other professionals in the LA.

Because of the way any specific spelling out of truth and clarity is stamped on in the media.

One of the ways you sort out the big picture, when institutional capture has got so far as it has (yes, for which the Tories are culpable), is by making examples in individual cases.

Ofsted are also the issue as they've been specifically inspecting primary schools around protected characteristics and describing a lack of understanding if they find it, among pupils.

I know of one inspection where the kids didn't know what trans was and this was picked up negatively. It was written differently in the report but I was told by a head who has links with the school what happened.

Ofsted inspectors can be subjective.

There is far more guidance and general knowledge floating about around the special caste of trans than the "GC" side.

But they are part of the problem which is pushing vulnerable children down a virtually irreversible pathway to drugs and surgery, sterilisation and loss of sexual function. Many of these children will come out of the other end in their mid 20s realising they are changed for life (sometimes with pain, trauma etc) and it solved nothing and they'd been sold a lie.

Given that teaching is meant to be fact based, and you can't teach controversial theories as facts, and the view above is protected, can you imagine anything even remotely like it being taught in schools at the moment?

If you're supposed to teach about gender reassignment in schools, presumably you can also tell children about the loss of sexual function, the loss of fertility, and the stories of detransitioners.

it feels like we're an awful long way away from anything like that tho.

💯THIS to both of you

I agree with @LonginesPrime Teachers have been fed a diet of gender ideology from all angles.

@donquixotedelamancha said the following:

“...schools are certainly not wasting money on crazy stonewall training for all staff- most are just muddling through dealing with kids as individuals.”

It may not have been specifically and directly Stonewall but nearly every organisation that teachers come into contact with in heir jobs - unions, RSE providers, mental health charities, governor organisations their own solicitors, are captured.

There has been widespread propaganda issued to schools. Heads and teachers have fallen for it.

Time to sort it out.

There has been widespread propaganda issued to schools. Heads and teachers have fallen for it.

"Fallen for it" is a great way to put it.

May I add CPD providers to your list?

I don't think that's true. The NEU seem fairly captured at a top level but I don't think it's very deep. I know women at the top of the NASUWT who are pretty GC.

RSE providers are not used by lots of schools but I think only a few (which have featured on here) are really pushing the lunacy. There are plenty of others and I know one which is completely opposed (ironically used by the school I think is worst for allowing the spread among students).

Mental health charities- yeah, sadly I think you are right about the big ones. I think CAHMS and social services are very captured in some areas and that's the big problem.

Governor organisations- no idea but IME governors tend to just be ordinary people unless they are academy chain drones. The capture of academy chain management is, I think, a focus for team Stonewall. There is no silly EDI training happening in my region for teachers but it certainly is for academy chain central teams.

I don't think most heads are captured at all. I think where you have people who are inclined towards climbing the greasy pole and following fashions they are but many heads are experienced, competent professionals who want what's best for their kids.

I know a lot of teachers and discussion of the social contagion of ROGD and a feeling of helplessness in challenging SS and parents who are harming kids is overwhelmingly what I hear.

Absolutely yes. My list was far from exhaustive. It’s bloody everywhere.

Rye College is being inspected by Ofsted tomorrow.

Ofsted who until last year were Stonewall champions but who left after investigative journalists uncovered Stonewall demanding that they should threaten primary schools with the prospect of low ratings if they did not ensure that all children were aware of “sexual orientation and gender reassignment.

https://sex-matters.org/posts/updates/leaving-stonewall/

Given their extreme level of capture (you don't get to be a Stonewall champion without obeying Stonewall's extensive demands) it will be interesting to see whether they've returned to being an independent body - or not.

I think that the quality of the inspection, especially what they make of the SRE teaching in general and this incident in particular, will depend on what the team are like that get sent in.

Oooh. I will watch with interest!

The NEU seem fairly captured at a top level but I don't think it's very deep.

Small bird told me the new head of neu is more on the GC side but just annoyingly un vocal. His ex partner also, and in labour.

I don't trust Ofsted. The inspectors can be other heads and deputy heads. They can be biased on this issue. Many are oblivious and naive to the key issues.

They have to uphold KCSIE. It details "vulnerabilities of LGBT pupils" to peer on peer abuse, describes the importance of the EA2010 (listing gender reassignment) etc.

It does not specifically detail single sex provision. It does not explain what T is in the context of schools. School interpretations can very easily result in how this teacher handled it.

I couldn’t agree with you both more.

And Kemi’s letter is excellent.

Governor organisations- no idea but IME governors tend to just be ordinary people unless they are academy chain drones. The capture of academy chain management is, I think, a focus for team Stonewall. There is no silly EDI training happening in my region for teachers but it certainly is for academy chain central teams.

Yes governors are ordinary people - some of whom work for captured orgs and believe what they’ve been told in EDI training.

A lot of governor use The Key, which is full of poor advice and information about gender issues.