Should Lgbt Issues Be Introduced In Lessons From As Early As Reception Classes?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2813481/2million-drive-teachers-say-gay-class-fight-homophobic-bullying-schools.html

/// Schools can make a ‘positive impact’ by incorporating lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people into the curriculum from reception class up. ///

[Mamyalynne]

That B00 is the saddest thing of all I agree.

[pixie373]

...and it is nothing to do with sexualising children. That's a strange way of thinking. We already give them sex education pretty much from birth. It starts with learning some children are boys and some are girls.

[DaisyNonna]

Would like to read the full report to find out exactly what it says and implies before passing judgement £2million seems a huge amount to spend on what good schools are already doing.

[douglas9401]

Maybe this particular thread from life's rich tapestry could be held back until children can all at least communicate, use cutlery and not soil themselves.

Supplementary, will there be a dispensation given to 'faith schools' to allow the quiet dropping of this as contrary to the teachings of their particular grand wizard of the clouds?

[anotheoldgit]

They make far too much of this sort of thing these days.

When I was at school there was a young lad who when I got older I realised was gay, but before then no one to my knowledge bullied him, in fact he was one of the most popular lads, although he preferred to play with the girls and would run around and twirling around with his rain coat buttoned around his neck and holding it in a cloak like fashion.

But then in those far off innocent days, we had not heard of gays and even less of lesbians.

[jackthehat]

When my son was in his Reception class, the children were encouraged to draw a Family picture. There were examples of previous childrens' drawings around the classroom.
These consisted of Mummy, Daddy and the child's siblings. One or two drawings showed Mummy, Mummy's Boyfriend, Daddy, Daddy's Girlfriend, etc.

My son pointed out that there were no pictures of Mummy and Mummy's girlfriend.......a fact that the school remedied from thereafter.

Would anyone really object to schools, which don't already do so, taking that on board and adjusting things accordingly?

[andy-hughes]

BOO - "I wouldn't be impressed if tolerance and learning about different sexual practices and lifestyle choices were taught instead of maths, grammar and english."

I must reiterate my point - tolerence should be taught in school.

Not tolerence of different cultural groups, just tolerance, being nice to people.

I do not advocate trying to educate small children in aspects of adult life for which they lack the reasoning and comprehension to understand.

Just being nice to each other is somethinf Reception children can understand, and that is what should be being taught as a bedrock of their early education.

"As I've previously said, the above should be taught and followed by example from parents."

It should.

But it's not, and that is where education has to step in and plug the gaps in upbringing that, as I have advised, grow wider with each successive generation.

[gness]

TTT....in your list of what we should teach why leave out knowing....I dislike the word tolerance....that people can love another of the same sex?

If we teach that well we won't have adults using the word deviant....to hear a parent...or teacher...describe two people who love each other a deviant....is heartbreaking.

[andy-hughes]

jackthehat - "When my son was in his Reception class, the children were encouraged to draw a Family picture. There were examples of previous childrens' drawings around the classroom.
These consisted of Mummy, Daddy and the child's siblings. One or two drawings showed Mummy, Mummy's Boyfriend, Daddy, Daddy's Girlfriend, etc.

My son pointed out that there were no pictures of Mummy and Mummy's girlfriend.......a fact that the school remedied from thereafter.

Would anyone really object to schools, which don't already do so, taking that on board and adjusting things accordingly?"

The longest journey starts with the first step.

[anotheoldgit]

It has been put that children should be taught to be tolerant and nice to people, but that doesn't seem to be put in practice much on AB.

[sp1814]

(Apologies for the long post)

Some posters here think that encouraging acceptance is a bad thing, or that (bizarrely), it would be taught instead of reading, writing and arithmetic.

I would disagree with the first postion, and admit that I cannot understand why anyone would even think the second position was even possible.

I remember when my nephew saw my partner's name at the end of a show he worked on, on ITV a few years ago.

My nephew was six at the time.

Forgetting he was in the room, my sister turned to her partner and said, "Oh look...I didn't realise he worked on THAT show!"

My nephew asked who he was, and my sister hesitantly said, that's your uncle's boyfriend.

He went quiet for a moment and then exclaimed, "Wow...isn't uncle lucky to have a boyfriend who works with all those famous people!!"

What I think a lot of you don't understand is that young kids have no perception of sex. Kids in reception are not going to be taught about gay sex. I hope everyone can see that.

And I hope that everyone understands the point about my six year old nephew. Kids aren't born bullies, they learn to be bullies.

...possibly by hearing adults who use pejorative terms, such as 'sexual deviants' to describe gay people.

[sp1814]

AOG

Thank you for your story about your school friend.

Do you think, generally, that life was better or worse for gay people in those innocent days?

[sp1814]

ToraToraTora

Do you think that primary school children are actually going to be taught about gay sex?

If so, why?

[anotheoldgit]

sp1814

To a six year old boy, one doesn't necessarily have to be gay to have a boy friend (just a friend) no more than a female has to be a Lesbian to have a girl friend.

[anotheoldgit]

sp1814

/// Do you think, generally, that life was better or worse for gay people in those innocent days? ///

Don't really know since we never thought about such things in those far off distant days.

[B00]

My only fear SP is that if it's taught in schools to such an extent it covers all the topics in the OP it's gonna be quite a lengthy, not covered, in one lesson type of...well lesson. Surely given the time constraints in a school day something has to give? Surely a lesson in 'something' will be dropped in favour of it?

[ludwig]

Allowing for the usual disclaimer that it's a DM story, and therefore undoubtedly twisted to suit their agenda..

It smacks of PC nonsense. Children should be taught to respect others, be tolerant of differences, and treat other people as they would expect to be treated themselves ie with kindness, respect, and courtesy.

Bullying of any kind for any reason should never be appeased or tolerated. Bullies should be punished.

[jackthehat]

Even the DM story doesn't go as far as claiming that there will be 'gay lessons'. I think the intention is to make mentioning gay people/family members as normal/usual as possible thereby removing the 'otherness' that usually surrounds us.

[B00]

sorry jack ,that's not quite what I meant- I'm assuming it'll be introduced under the sex -ed umbrella, and common sense tells you that these lessons will be longer and more indepth due to this- no?

[sp1814]

AOG

There is an accepted word that women use for close female friends...'girlfriend'.

Straight men don't refer to their close male friends as 'boyfriends'.

It simply doesn't happen. Do you agree with this?

When a child, of say six, hears that a man has a boyfriend, that child will perceive that as a very close friend...possibly a best friend (as you have already stated), and that's perfect.

...because later on, when the kid is a little older, they will understand that 'boyfriend' in this context means a man that another man loves.

And then later on, say when the kid enters his/her teenage years, the will be sufficiently free of ignorance to understand the sexual context of the relationship.

I fail to understand where the issue lies.

What these proposals mean is that teachers will be given materials which will hel them in best best applying these principles at age-appropriate stages.

It's not like there will be Tolerance lessons every Friday after lunch...it means that teachers will be guided on how to introduce inclusivity in lessons and how to deal with homophobic bullying.

I think that this is an important step, because way too many gay teens contemplate or actually attempt to commit suicide:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/two-out-of-every-five-victims-of-school-homophobic-bullying-contemplate-suicide-says-survey-7917473.html

If the £2million goes to reducing this figure, I think that would be money well spent.