A suburban Atlanta school board has voted to terminate the contract of a teacher who read a book about gender identity to gifted fifth-graders – the latest salvo in a nationwide clash over how issues like gender and race are discussed in public school classrooms.

  • joe@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    90
    arrow-down
    5
    ·
    1 year ago

    For reference, fifth graders are usually around 10 or 11 years old. Gifted or not they’re almost certainly intelligent enough for this topic.

    According to the article, there is a law that restricts teaching “divisive concepts”. That batshit insane. “Divisive” doesn’t mean it’s inaccurate.

    • flipht@kbin.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      54
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      Divisive almost always means liberal in these contexts. I find the bible divisive, but I doubt any teacher would get fired for quoting or even directly reading from it.

    • rnviewjthpowrh@kbin.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      21
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      1 year ago

      For reference, fifth graders are usually around 10 or 11 years old. Gifted or not they’re almost certainly intelligent enough for this topic.

      I disagree enough to stop lurking and made an account to comment.

      Our 8 year old knows that “some people feel they are boys, some feel they are girls, and some don’t feel like they are either.” Honestly it’s not more difficult than that unless you’re purposely making it so.

      Also 5th grade is when we (suburban school district in the US) had a district-wide “basic sex ed” information night for students. How is educating about sex okay but not gender for the same age?

      They’re are age appropriate ways to talk about these topics to kids like these, and age appropriate materials.

    • Jaywarbs@artemis.camp
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      1 year ago

      I remember in 4th grade (age 10) my class was shown “The Movie”, which described basic sexual functions. I distinctly remember the words semen and ejaculation being used, not because I actually learned the meanings, but because I thought they sounded funny. I’d say that the concept gender is actually easier to describe than the biology of sex and reproduction.