One of the common themes I keep coming back to here is that having equality legislation is all very well, but if people’s attitudes don’t change then the legislation easily bypassed. In theory, the UK has an excellent track record on gay rights, but as today’s Guardian reveals, one place where that doesn’t apply is the nation’s schools:
Even primary-age pupils are taunted with homophobic language, say 44% of primary school staff. That small children don’t necessarily understand what they’re saying doesn’t diminish the fact that girls who aren’t “girly” and boys who don’t behave as boys are “supposed” to are regularly being made to feel unhappy about themselves.
Nor is there often a lot that teachers can do about this. Not only do they live in fear of angry parents, they may also get no support from their management:
At a secondary school in the north-east, another teacher paints a particularly bleak picture of his chances of management support. “Our headteacher and the governors are all bigots. I feel 100% sure the head would not care if anyone suffered from gay bullying. He has made it quite clear how he feels about gays and lesbians.”
What chance do we have of creating a diverse and understanding society if our schools are busily teaching pupils to be bigots?
Rest assured, schools are, in general, not teaching our pupils to be bigots! Some of their parents might be- but I have yet to come across a teacher who would condone this sort of behaviour. Quite the opposite in fact.
I have worked with, and still do, many outstanding and caring teachers who really do take time to ensure that the students who walk through our doors are cared for.
The hardest thing to overcome is where the puipls have picked up bigotted ideas at home and as they get older through the media. These are the areas where more work really needs to be done.
We are, for the most part (there are exceptions like the head teacher mentioned above), doing our best in very difficult and pressured circumstances!
I once got very upset because a boy called me “Sexy legs” – I was in primary school. I complained to my dad who laughed for a bit too long and then explained what it should mean and that really it was closer to a compliment even if it had been meant as an insult.
I was a tomboy and a princess depending on mood. It’s not an easy topic even for a ‘normal’ straight girl with a penchant for maths and sciences.
Everyone who deals with this has my sympathy, and I hope I don’t add too much to the problems and certainly not intentionally
annie:
I’m sure there are many good teachers out there, and that most of the problems arise from parents and the media. However, that Guardian report was based on a survey of teachers, and it concluded that teachers were pretty much powerless to do anything about it. I think that maybe they need some support.
Bullying is seen (at least on as much of the Left Coast and Upper East Coast, where I know teachers, US) as a major issue that teachers work very hard to avoid, to shut down when they see it and that administrators support strongly. I suspect there’s a certain amount of regionalism to this and that’s harder to get through the system quickly.
It means we have to keep on them – and make sure teachers who are trying get the support they need.