Those teaching at all-girls schools in the United Kingdom “in certain instances” should consider addressing youngsters merely as “students” or “pupils,” according to a report in The Telegraph.
Why? To be more sensitive to transgender children.
“The choice of words is an important part of a ‘complex pastoral issue’ increasingly faced by schools,” according to Caroline Jordan, president of the Girls’ Schools Association.
The recommendations follow training sessions led by the organization Gendered Intelligence which, among other things, advises “avoiding terms such as ‘young ladies.’”
“The crux of the matter is that schools have a duty of care to all pupils including those who decide to transition,” Mrs Jordan said. “Language is one part of this complex pastoral issue and GSA schools, which have a long history of excellence in pastoral care, are at the forefront of showing best practice in including transgender pupils.”
She added: “Where relevant to the audience, in assemblies, for example, instead of saying ‘Girls, go to lessons,’ staff should consider saying ‘Pupils, go to lessons’ or ‘Students, go to lessons.’
MORE: Don’t refer to boys and girls as … ‘boys’ and ‘girls’
“Every year there are more and more young people posing questions around their gender identity. I do not want anyone to think that girls’ or boys’ schools are invested in one way of being a girl or one way of being a boy.”
Mrs Harrop said: “We are trying to replace the word girls with students or pupils, when transgender pupils are present and where relevant to the audience.”
Will single-gender institutions survive being called “boys’ schools” and “girls’ schools”? Or will they be replaced with something like … “female-identifying schools”?
A similar instance in the US made news a year and a half ago: The Lincoln Public Schools in Nebraska had disseminated materials which urged using a term like “purple penguins” instead of the traditional “boys” and “girls.”
Though Snopes.com (rightly) points out that the Lincoln situation, like that in the Telegraph article, was advisory in nature, teachers know well that if administration is in favor of it, they’d better follow.
Not to mention, consider one of the recommendations for the Lincoln teachers: When a student uses “gendered” language, teachers should ask “What makes you say that? I think of it a little differently.”
Nothing like using the classroom power differential to shame the little charges!
Read the full Telegraph article.
MORE: Instructor rebuked for banning ‘mom,’ ‘dad’ from class
MORE: Univs. teach gender fluidity as fact to college students
Like The College Fix on Facebook / Follow us on Twitter
IMAGE: Shutterstock
Please join the conversation about our stories on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, MeWe, Rumble, Gab, Minds and Gettr.