Row over minder scheme for gay pupils

[Insight]

Sadly, not everyone is all that accepting or indeed, even tolerant. Unless he got the award for his work against The Gays, I don't have much issue with it. People are allowed their own opinions after all, hopefully most people are wise enough to let them bluster away, unnoticed.

It's a place that gets v.foggy - do we censure people because of personal opinion? As long as that opinion does not directly influence of provoke further prejudice, should it just be left alone? Though I wonder if he would've received his rewards had he been a known racist.



[hr]

SRC Member for Sexualities & Gender
http://standrews.facebook.com/profile.php?id=37101378

[thePontificator]

We're getting a bit into Little Britain territory here with our use of the phrase 'The Gays' like they're a family or something.

Although I'm sure that Gay is a surname, so there probably is a Gay family somewhere.

[grousefanatic]

Quoting thePontificator from 21:52, 22nd Jun 2006
We're getting a bit into Little Britain territory here with our use of the phrase 'The Gays' like they're a family or something.

Off the point, but we do build ourselves into little groups that become very close (if we're lucky) - rather like a family.

I can safely say that I am closer to my friends who make up my "family" than I am to the vast majority of my blood relatives, but that might just be me.

[hr]

veni vidi nates calce concidi - i came, i saw, i kicked ass

[Cain]

Quoting David Bean from 18:13, 22nd Jun 2006
Personally, I don't understand where this assumption comes from that it's any of a school's business to teach children anything to do with sex or sexuality outside a biology class. Surely schools are there to provide for the academic development of their pupils, and anything else should be left to the privacy of their homes.

First off, schools and teachers have a pastoral responsibility to pupils. Let's not argue about whether they should. They do.

Schools are there to develop young people's minds. There's a LOT more involved in that than just what textbooks and academic exercises can do for you. Teachers have to model behaviour for pupils, and work through issues that pupils have with regards to their life, their atmosphere, their development etc etc. I can't turn around and say "People are picking on you because you're different? I'm only here to teach you about the League of Nations, sorry."

I'm a History teacher. I've done bits of lessons on sex. One of my 3rd years asked me how troops had sex in the trenches of the Great War. So I looked it up and came back to them. We talked about prositutes, brotherls and sexual health. no real problem with that.

As for leaving it to parents, you're making the dangerous and naive assumption that parents are a) going to tell pupil the 'facts of life' and b) are going to do it in a responsible way. Libertarian issues aside, does it matter who tells these children about contraception, STDs and the value of stable, loving relationships as long as they develop an understanding and appreciation of them?

[hr]

I hold an element of surprise

[Akasha]

LGB sex ed in schools... hmmm

I agree with Cain - teachers and the school ethos form our understanding of the social world as much as family and community influences. If we take the nominal figure of 10%, excluding LGB sexual health information from the curriculum means excluding that 10% from information about their sexual health. It *IS* in the interests of the state to promote LGB sexual health awareness - unless of course the NHS wants to cough up for STI treatments and, potentially, a lifetime of HIV drugs? There are a number of prevading myths surrounding LGB sexual health: all gay men will get HIV, lesbians don't get STIs/need smear tests. And, there is a large degree of ignorance and avoidance of certain facts - HIV eclipses a number of other problems. Surely the best (and only?) place to provide this blanket of information is within the schools system before the population splits? And, they do say fear of the unknown is often the biggest problem...

LGB minders

Having just attended the National LGBT Health Summit with 'Insight' I was surprised to discover that a large number of young people are self-identifying as LGB from around the age of 12. Midet made an excellent point that these minders are merely a short term solution - homophobic bullying is the problem. Until the prevading culture moves away from demonising "the gays" this will be nigh impossible to tackle but at least if those in a position of authority appear to be knowledgable and accepting it might help? Homophobic bullying needs to be demonised in the same way that racism has been.

Just imagine being a young person, confused about your feelings but knowing that you were "different". In an information void where does that lead you? Mental health problems (depression, self-harm, body dysmorphia, isolation and suicide) are huge within the LGBT community. Until the institutionalised homophobia of the schools system that results in this invisibility of LGBT youths has been tackled these young people will continue down this path unaided.

Rar... its summertime! i shouldn't have to use my brain.

[KT]

I agree with the above - education is essential in this area. Unfortunately it is still not actually allowed! As a Primary Teacher I am not allowed to explain the meaning of the term Gay even if I hear it being used as a term of abuse - makes it quite challenging to do anything other than say 'You can't use that word here' which is not exactly the best way to convince people to change their behaviour.

I went to Catholic Schools and at the time felt my sex ed was fairly awful, actually in comparison to other people it was very good and fairly comprehensive. We started at 11/12 (year 6/P7) with a programme delivered by a nurse (which our parents were invited in to see before hand) it covered the emotional side (only doing what you wanted etc) as well as the 'facts of life' in terms of puberty etc. My (and my parents) only criticism at this point was that the religious representivies in the governing body felt we should only be shown cartoon versions of the actual sex (bring on pink and blue boxes with springs and holes!).

We then had sex ed in some form or another every year until we were 16. This was in a variety of subject areas including PSHE (tutorial time), RE/RS and science. By the time we left we had a fairly good knowledge of all the facts - including how most forms of contraception do their job and why various religious groups object to their use including the pre/post conception split. We were often left in no doubt as to what the prefered view on these issues was but the majority of staff were open to debate and discussion about the ethics etc.

What we lacked was what can only be termed 'practical application of method' we had never been shown/had explained or anything simillar how you would actually use any form of contraception - a fairly large gap i'll admit. But for a catholic school not bad in comparison to some of the stories I've heard. W ehad also not had any mention of homosexuality, also a fairly large gap.

Anyway my point is that Sex Ed can and should be offered in Primary school. By the time I started hearing it in school, I had been hearing stories/rumours from friends and magazines that were downright wrong and the 'official' input very much helped clear up a lot of these. I can only imagine how much worse it must be now. The P2 (that's year 1 for English people, i.e. 6 year olds) I was teaching last month were already discussing who fancied whom. Not what I was doing at their age and therefore i assume it won't be long before other issues come up such as periods. They are much better (IMO) with an open and honest policy from the teachers around them and with a systematic and truthful teaching of the facts. As mentioned above they may or may not get this from their parents but regardless they should be recieving a message of respect and open explanation from school.
Interesestingly while I was there the upper school had started sex ed and the teacher was not happy - she felt the children were not ready and she was very uncomfortable in the sessions. She felt they were too detailed even for her. However as far as I could gatehr they didn't seem too bad. Certainly no worse than what you'd find in a magazine. There was concern that some of the children were too young and not really interested however I would argue that this would be a better time to teach this information. Before they actually need it, if it is taught as information and within a solid culture of the emotional implications and with an emphasis on personal choice and different rates of development this can only be a good thing. This should definetly include homosexuality - it is a reality and as more and more children become aware of people in their communities and on television who are LGBT then it is essential that the education they recieve in school reflects this otherwise how confused are they going to end up! Let alone how many negative images and stereotypes are we reinforcing - it's apparently normal when you watch Hollyoaks but never mentioned in School, and my big brother/sister /an older pupil etc uses these terms as an insult - what conclusions is a child going to draw... By not actively condeming the actions of those who are negative we are implicitly condoning them which is certainly not acceptable.


(sorry if this is a little incoherent as akasha said - it's the summer dammit!)

[the_truth]

Quoting Gealle from 10:10, 19th Jun 2006
We seriously need discipline.

Bring back corporal punishment. We damn well need it. I'd have taken one for the team it's time to put those rowdy lil chavs back in line.