As a teacher, my role is to equip pupils with the tools that they need to live happy, healthy and fulfilling lives.
In recent years, conversations about gender equality and gender stereotypes have taken on increasing resonance and importance. At their heart, these conversations are based around a simple idea – that everyone should be treated equally. Yet in today’s ever more complex world, they can feel surprisingly tricky.
Children absorb ideas about gender early. By age seven, many believe certain toys, clothes or careers are only for either boys or girls. Boys often learn that they are expected to be tough, competitive and sporty. Girls are still frequently encouraged to be nurturing and gentle – pressures that can quietly shape how they see themselves and what they believe they’re allowed to be.
These stereotypes, reinforced by adverts, media, peers and often by well-meaning adults, can limit self-confidence, learning, emotional development and future aspirations. Crucially, they can also perpetuate gender inequality.
It was when I heard some of our older KS2 pupils talking about views they’d heard from online figures that I started to think more deeply about these issues. It was clear that these views presented narrow and potentially harmful ideas of what it means to be a boy or a girl. This prompted an important question: should we simply react when issues arise, or should we proactively work to give children the tools to think critically before those ideas can take hold?
We chose the latter
As part of our work in this area, we introduced the Beyond Gender Stereotypes (BGS) suite of resources to our PSHE curriculum. It has been an eye-opening experience – not just for pupils, but for staff as well. Like many educators, I thought I had a good understanding of gender stereotypes. I have friends who have knocked down door after door, smashing traditional gender roles. And yet, the BGS resources have made me and the wider teaching staff at Brocks Hill really think about our own behaviours; from the examples we select to illustrate points in class, to the language used when speaking to our pupils.
What has been so encouraging is how open our children are to engaging with these subjects when given the opportunity. Previously, we had spoken to our pupils about gender stereotypes. But what’s been really noticeable is that the resources have really helped our children understand what it means and are able to apply that thinking. They’ve also been confident enough to challenge teachers on occasion. For example, when we recently arranged for a visitor to speak to the children, one pupil asked why we hadn’t considered inviting a female role model in the same field. It was a small moment, but a significant one.
Primary school is a formative time where children begin to develop their sense of identity, their relationships with others and their place in the wider world. Outside of the classroom, they are also increasingly navigating a world that bombards them with competing messages – many of which can reinforce limiting stereotypes. If we don’t address these issues early, we risk leaving children to make sense of them alone.
Let’s be clear, talking about gender stereotypes isn’t about telling children what to think. It’s about helping them to ask better questions. Why do we associate certain colours, jobs or behaviours with one gender and not the other? Where do those ideas come from? Are they fair? By encouraging this kind of critical thinking, we are preparing children to engage more thoughtfully with the world around them.
The Beyond Gender Stereotypes curriculum was developed by the Children’s Society Lifting Limits programme in partnership with the Global Boyhood Initiative, coordinated by Equimundo: Center for Masculinities and Social Justice.
For more information about BGS, visit: bit.ly/BeyondGenderStereotypes
To explore the BGS curriculum and resources, visit: bit.ly/GBIResources
