Sex ed the ol' fashioned way. Image:BiblioArchives I think most people have some incident in their lives they think about with a sense of regret or guilt. I have moments where I realise in retrospect I missed an opportunity. But my moment that brings guilt - a feeling I don't usually experience - happened in year 10 at my Roman Catholic secondary school. I remember it like it was yesterday. Our head of year came into our classroom to speak to us about how totes approachable the staff were (we might have been having some special PSHE class approaching) about anything.
ANYTHING. If we had any worries or troubles we were to speak to them. Sounds good right? No matter how liberal your parents or guardians might be there are some things you just can't tell the person who used to change your nappies and read you bed time stories during your days of clear skin and comfort in your body. A teacher you respect is a good candidate for a confidant.
ANYTHING. If we had any worries or troubles we were to speak to them. Sounds good right? No matter how liberal your parents or guardians might be there are some things you just can't tell the person who used to change your nappies and read you bed time stories during your days of clear skin and comfort in your body. A teacher you respect is a good candidate for a confidant.
Answering the head of year's offer a very popular boy said: "I'm gay." Because we were in year 10 and attended Catholic school most students laughed. Sir pointed to the boy and said "I hope and pray for your sake that you are joking."
This is the part of the story where I wish I could tell you I stood up and said what an irresponsible thing to say that was. How it endorsed the rampant teenage boy homophobia rife among most schools (in my experience lesbianism is not contemplated [other than by young gay girls of course] until college) and completely shat from a great height on the message of understanding he'd promised the teachers would provide. But I didn't. I sat on my stool (oh yeah, my form room was a science lab) silently until it was time for first lesson.
Years later I saw this popular boy walking down the street with his boyfriend. He'd been honest and frank that day and hadn't been given the honour of time or tolerance. That's my fault.
I should make clear this is not an attack on Catholic schools incidentally. I suppose it is rather on my own Catholic school - every time I drove passed during driving lessons I would stall because I was too busy fighting a knee jerk anxiety whilst simultaneously thinking "burn" as I looked at the building (drivers amongst you will know I should have been looking at the road). But I recall this because, while it is not the worst incident of homophobia in school by far, it is a sign of how we deal with sexuality and identity in school.
This is the part of the story where I wish I could tell you I stood up and said what an irresponsible thing to say that was. How it endorsed the rampant teenage boy homophobia rife among most schools (in my experience lesbianism is not contemplated [other than by young gay girls of course] until college) and completely shat from a great height on the message of understanding he'd promised the teachers would provide. But I didn't. I sat on my stool (oh yeah, my form room was a science lab) silently until it was time for first lesson.
Years later I saw this popular boy walking down the street with his boyfriend. He'd been honest and frank that day and hadn't been given the honour of time or tolerance. That's my fault.
I should make clear this is not an attack on Catholic schools incidentally. I suppose it is rather on my own Catholic school - every time I drove passed during driving lessons I would stall because I was too busy fighting a knee jerk anxiety whilst simultaneously thinking "burn" as I looked at the building (drivers amongst you will know I should have been looking at the road). But I recall this because, while it is not the worst incident of homophobia in school by far, it is a sign of how we deal with sexuality and identity in school.
| We don't deal. The most frightening thing about growing up is realising nobody has the answers but we can still provide tools to get through life. The new draft of the National Curriculum is missing "gender identity" which was included in February 2013. It now reads: "Teachers should take account of their duties under equal opportunities legislation that covers disability, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation." (page 8) | Anything resembling Section 28's attitude should surely be pointed out not as an alarmist strategy but as a necessity |
Now, this is on top of a recently called government investigation into schools replicating Section 28, the Thatcher government's bid to stop the rampant homosexuality promotion going on in schools and elsewhere. Academies and schools have been accused of using guidelines reminiscent of Section 28. For instance the Grace Academies in the West Midlands state that: "Objective discussion of homosexuality may take place in the classroom, including discussion of homophobic behaviour...The governing body will not permit the promotion of homosexuality."
Simon Blake, the CEO of the fantastic charity Brook, writing about the massive inability governing bodies et al might have in identifying a good SRE curriculum, warns in a blog however that calling Section 28 may not contribute to a healthier sex education: "Whilst this is far far less than ideal and shows how much more needs to be done I still think it is unhelpful to describe these policies as reintroducing Section 28."
I do not have the SRE education experience Blake has, but for our children's safety we need to be sure we are providing them with language and tools to negotiate sexuality and identity. Anything resembling Section 28's attitude should surely be pointed out not as an alarmist strategy but as a necessity. I want the words cis and trans* to be in everyone's vocabulary and identity to be a topic we are able to properly discuss.
And I want those appointed as authoritative listeners to have the language and capacity to help.
Squeamish Kate
Simon Blake, the CEO of the fantastic charity Brook, writing about the massive inability governing bodies et al might have in identifying a good SRE curriculum, warns in a blog however that calling Section 28 may not contribute to a healthier sex education: "Whilst this is far far less than ideal and shows how much more needs to be done I still think it is unhelpful to describe these policies as reintroducing Section 28."
I do not have the SRE education experience Blake has, but for our children's safety we need to be sure we are providing them with language and tools to negotiate sexuality and identity. Anything resembling Section 28's attitude should surely be pointed out not as an alarmist strategy but as a necessity. I want the words cis and trans* to be in everyone's vocabulary and identity to be a topic we are able to properly discuss.
And I want those appointed as authoritative listeners to have the language and capacity to help.
Squeamish Kate
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