UK infant schools praised for teaching trans kids to 'express themselves'
Transgender activist welcomes Ofsted report and applauds schools for allowing children to 'explore gender freely'
19 June 2012 | By Matthew Jenkin
http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/uk-infant-schools-praised-teaching-trans-kids-express-themselves190612 (http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/uk-infant-schools-praised-teaching-trans-kids-express-themselves190612)
Trasngender activist Jane Fae told Gay Star News she welcomed the report's findings.
She said: 'It is wonderful that schools are prepared to allow children to express themselves without finding that they are being bullied, harassed or being put back into a box where they're made to feel bad about being different.'
However, Fae said it is not just a 'trans issue' and goes much wider.
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Primary schools praised for labelling four-year-olds 'transgender'
Inspectors have praised infant schools for supporting their cross-dressing students, with children as young as four being labelled as "transgender".
By Hannah Furness
7:42AM BST 19 Jun 2012
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/primaryeducation/9340632/Primary-schools-praised-for-labelling-four-year-olds-transgender.html (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/primaryeducation/9340632/Primary-schools-praised-for-labelling-four-year-olds-transgender.html)
A report found young pupils were being encouraged to express themselves and permitted to dress as the opposite sex without judgment.
The education watchdog highlighted examples of good practice, such as appreciating "that a boy may prefer to be known as a girl and have a girl's name and similarly a girl may have a girl's name but wants to dress as and be a boy".
It praised primary schools where "transgender pupils are taken seriously", and those which had "gender-neutral" environments.
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and... from the Daily Mail
Infant school praised by Ofsted 'for allowing its transgender pupils to express themselves'
By Laura Clark
PUBLISHED: 18:23 EST, 18 June 2012 | UPDATED: 04:21 EST, 19 June 2012
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2161333/Infant-school-praised-Ofsted-allowing-transgender-pupils-express-themselves.html (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2161333/Infant-school-praised-Ofsted-allowing-transgender-pupils-express-themselves.html)
Schools are labelling children as young as four as 'transgender' simply because they want to dress up as the opposite sex.
Little boys who like wearing dresses or tutus are being encouraged to express themselves in a 'gender-neutral environment' in the classroom.
And while many parents may question how any school can make such a judgment about a child so young, Ofsted is apparently in no doubt.
The difference in tone of the different articles is interesting. Particularly the one in the Daily Mail, although I can't say I'm altogether surprised.
That's the Daily Heil for you. Such a vile publication, and so often waved in the air by ranting bigots and if preaching from the Gospel of Littlejohn.
Still, it is great that schools are finally allowed to encourage children to express themselves. I'm the product of a single-sex school environment where the teachers were as homophobic and transphobic as the pupils, and would actively (if indirectly) encourage acts against any pupil they saw as camp or effete. It is wonderful to see how far things have come in the span of a generation.
Tamz x