Irish primary teachers discouraged from saying “boys & girls” | Gript

Summary

This video by Gript Media explores the Irish Department of Education's guidance encouraging teachers to learn about cross-dressing, drag, and gender-fluid identities for primary school sex education classes. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) toolkit urges inclusive language, discouraging terms like 'boys and girls,' and includes resources on gender fluidity and LGBT+ identities. The video questions whether young children should be exposed to such materials and criticizes the normalization of these identities in education. Gript Media calls for more scrutiny of the Irish education system regarding these policies.

Takeaways

• 📚 The Irish Department of Education, through the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), has encouraged teachers to explore topics like cross-dressing for erotic enjoyment, drag, and gender fluid identities when preparing for Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) and Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) lessons for primary school students.
• 🔠 Teachers are advised to avoid using traditional gendered terms like 'boys and girls' and to adopt more gender-neutral language when addressing students.
• 📖 The official guidelines suggest using inclusive picture books and gender-neutral toys in classrooms, emphasizing that even young children should be exposed to diverse gender identities.
• 👨‍🏫 One document, titled 'Using Inclusive and Respectful Language,' encourages the use of students' preferred gender pronouns and advises teachers to consider their own use of language.
• 👗 Another resource linked in the toolkit includes information on various gender identities and expressions, such as cross-dressers, drag queens/kings, and different non-binary terms.
• 🚻 A linked glossary of LGBT+ terms from the Transgender Equality Network of Ireland (TENI) features over 20 terms, including 'demigender,' 'agender,' and 'bigender,' which teachers are encouraged to study.
• 🕵️ Gript Media claims they are the first to bring these resources to public attention, as they believe they were hidden in plain sight on the NCCA website.
• 💡 One of the resources reportedly includes information on 'cross-dressing for erotic enjoyment,' raising concerns about the appropriateness of this content for primary school teachers preparing lessons for young children.
• 👶 The guidance emphasizes that gender fluidity and non-conformity should be recognized even in very young children, suggesting that some children’s gender identity may be evolving from a young age.
• 📑 The script indicates a broader trend in Ireland's education system to normalize LGBTQ+ identities throughout the curriculum, not just in isolated lessons, raising questions and concerns among critics.

Q & A

What is the main concern raised in the video about the Irish education system?

The video raises concerns about the Irish Department of Education encouraging teachers to learn about cross-dressing for erotic enjoyment, drag, and gender-fluid identities when preparing lessons for primary school students.

What organization is behind the educational recommendations mentioned in the video?

The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), a sub-branch of the Irish Department of Education, is behind the recommendations.

What is the purpose of the NCCA's toolkit for teachers?

The toolkit is designed to help teachers prepare for sex education (RSE) and social, personal, and health education (SPHE) lessons in primary schools.

What language guidance is provided to teachers in the NCCA toolkit?

The toolkit advises teachers to use inclusive and respectful language, such as using students' preferred gender pronouns and avoiding terms like 'boys and girls' in favor of more gender-neutral alternatives.

What kind of gender concepts are teachers encouraged to introduce to primary school students?

Teachers are encouraged to introduce concepts such as cross-dressing, gender fluidity, gender queer, and other non-binary identities to students as part of the curriculum.

What does the video say about the age group targeted by these educational materials?

The video mentions that these materials are aimed at very young children, likely in junior infants, who are still playing with toys and reading picture books.

What external organizations are mentioned as contributors to the teaching resources?

The Transgender Equality Network of Ireland (TENI) and LGBT Ireland are mentioned as contributors to the glossary of terms and further reading materials for teachers.

What controversial topics are highlighted in the further reading materials linked by the NCCA?

The further reading materials include topics such as cross-dressing for erotic enjoyment, drag, and a list of various gender identities like demigender, bigender, and non-binary.

What alternative pronouns are teachers encouraged to introduce, according to the video?

Teachers are encouraged to introduce alternative pronouns like 'ze/zir' in place of 'he/him' or 'she/her'.

What is the video host’s call to action for viewers?

The host encourages viewers to like, comment, and share the video to boost its visibility and support independent journalism. He also urges donations to support further investigations into the Irish education system.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Irish Teachers Encouraged to Explore Gender Diversity in Education

The Irish Department of Education encourages teachers to learn about various gender identities, including cross-dressing, drag, and gender fluidity, as part of their preparation for Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) and Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) lessons for primary school students. The video highlights the importance of supporting independent journalism and asks viewers to like, comment, and share for algorithm support. The video raises questions about how much parents are aware of what their children are learning in school.

05:01

🏫 Gender Identity Topics in Primary School Curriculum

Ireland's national curriculum body, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), encourages teachers to explore various gender identities and advises against using gendered terms like 'boys and girls.' The NCCA toolkit for teachers recommends inclusive language and emphasizes supporting young children, even those in junior classes, who may have evolving gender identities. The document urges teachers to create gender-neutral environments and be aware of children's fluid gender identities, which could involve transitioning between genders or identifying as gender-fluid.

📖 Recommended Resources on Gender Identity for Teachers

The video describes how teachers are guided to read about gender identity through resources like the Transgender Equality Network of Ireland (TENI) and LGBT Ireland. These resources introduce various gender terms, such as gender fluid, bigender, and cross-dresser, and discuss the non-binary spectrum. One document highlights cross-dressing for various reasons, including artistic or erotic enjoyment, with a focus on gender expression. The video notes a contradiction in the use of the term 'transvestite' and raises concerns about these resources being included in the official curriculum.

🌈 Expanding the Understanding of Non-Binary Identities

Teachers are encouraged to learn about non-binary and gender-fluid identities, using inclusive pronouns like 'ze/zir.' The recommended materials provide extensive information about different gender identities and experiences, including terms like 'identity doll' or 'masker,' and other expressions related to gender fluidity. The curriculum emphasizes the importance of avoiding heteronormative and cis-normative language and encourages the normalization of LGBTQ+ identities throughout all lessons, not just those dedicated to sex education.

❓ Concerns Over Gender and LGBTQ+ Curriculum in Primary Schools

The video raises concerns about how long these LGBTQ+ and gender-fluid resources have been available on the NCCA website, questioning if and how they are being taught to young children in Irish primary schools. The content is highlighted as part of a larger strategy by the Irish government to address gender-based violence, which includes teaching about LGBTQ+ issues and sexual consent. The host emphasizes the need for further investigation into the education system and encourages viewers to support independent media like Gript through donations.

Keywords

💡Cross-dressing for erotic enjoyment

This phrase refers to the act of wearing clothes traditionally associated with the opposite gender, in a context of personal or sexual pleasure. In the video, this is highlighted as a concept Irish teachers are reportedly encouraged to learn about as part of their training for teaching sex education. The speaker expresses concern that such topics may not be appropriate for primary school students.

💡Drag

Drag refers to the performance art where individuals, often male, dress in exaggerated clothing, makeup, and accessories typically associated with the opposite gender. In the video, drag is mentioned in the context of teaching teachers about gender identities and expressions, sparking a discussion about whether these topics are suitable for young students.

💡Gender fluidity

Gender fluidity is the concept that a person's gender identity is not fixed and can shift over time between different gender expressions. The video discusses how Irish teachers are being trained to understand gender fluidity in their students, which includes the possibility of children changing their gender identities. The speaker questions the appropriateness of introducing such complex topics to primary school children.

💡Preferred gender pronouns

This refers to the pronouns that individuals choose to identify with, which may differ from those traditionally associated with their biological sex (e.g., using 'they/them' instead of 'he/him' or 'she/her'). The video raises concerns about teachers being encouraged to use students' preferred pronouns, emphasizing that these discussions involve very young children who are still developing their identities.

💡NCCA (National Council for Curriculum and Assessment)

The NCCA is the official body in Ireland responsible for developing the national curriculum. In the video, the NCCA is criticized for including resources related to cross-dressing, drag, and non-binary identities in its toolkit for teachers. The speaker questions the role of the NCCA in promoting these topics in primary schools.

💡LGBT Ireland

LGBT Ireland is an organization that advocates for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals. The video references LGBT Ireland's resources, which reportedly include topics such as cross-dressing and gender fluidity, as materials suggested for teachers in preparing lessons on sexual education. The inclusion of these topics in primary education is presented as controversial by the speaker.

💡Heteronormativity

Heteronormativity refers to the belief or assumption that heterosexuality is the default or 'normal' sexual orientation. The video mentions how teachers are being advised to avoid heteronormative language, promoting instead a more inclusive approach that recognizes a variety of gender identities and sexual orientations. The speaker implies that this shift may be challenging or inappropriate for young children.

💡SPHE (Social, Personal and Health Education)

SPHE is a subject in the Irish education system that focuses on personal development, health, and well-being. The video discusses how SPHE lessons now include topics like gender fluidity and preferred pronouns, which are part of the NCCA's toolkit for teachers. The speaker is critical of these additions to the curriculum, suggesting they might be too advanced for primary school students.

💡Inclusive language

Inclusive language refers to the use of terms and phrases that avoid excluding or marginalizing particular groups, especially in relation to gender and sexual identity. In the video, it is mentioned that teachers are encouraged to use inclusive language in their classrooms, avoiding binary terms like 'boys and girls.' The speaker critiques this as a potential overreach, especially when applied to very young students.

💡Non-binary identities

Non-binary identities refer to gender identities that do not fit within the traditional categories of male or female. The video highlights that teachers are being trained to recognize and support non-binary identities in children, which includes teaching about pronouns and the possibility of shifting gender identities. The speaker questions the appropriateness of discussing non-binary identities with primary school students.

Highlights

Irish teachers are encouraged by the Department of Education to learn about cross-dressing for erotic enjoyment, drag, and gender-fluid identities for primary school sex education lessons.

The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) provides a toolkit on their website to help teachers with sex education classes, emphasizing inclusive and respectful language.

Teachers are discouraged from using 'boys and girls' and are urged to adopt gender-neutral language in addressing students.

The NCCA toolkit advises teachers to use students' preferred gender pronouns, even for young children still playing with toys and reading picture books.

The inclusive language guidelines are intended for very young students, including those in junior infant classes, emphasizing respect for evolving gender identities.

Teachers are encouraged to create classroom environments where toys and activities are accessible to all students, regardless of gender.

The toolkit's additional resources provide links to LGBT+ terms and concepts like cross-dressing, demigender, gender fluid, bigender, and more.

One resource linked in the toolkit discusses cross-dressing for erotic enjoyment and drag performances as artistic expression or exploration of gender identity.

A glossary provided to teachers includes controversial terms, such as 'transvestite,' which is considered offensive and outdated in other educational contexts.

The NCCA toolkit recommends inclusive terms like 'ze/zir' pronouns instead of traditional gender pronouns for non-binary identities.

The resources advise teachers on avoiding heteronormative or cis-normative language in the classroom.

The Department of Education encourages normalizing LGBT+ identities throughout the curriculum, not just in dedicated sex education lessons.

Some linked documents discuss the concept of 'gender fluidity,' explaining that a gender-fluid person may experience different gender identities at different times.

The resources highlight the need for teachers to support students whose gender identities may be fluid or non-binary, even at a very young age.

The revelations about this content being available for teachers raised concerns, as they were not widely known, and questions are being asked about the extent of its use in classrooms.

Transcripts

irish teachers have been encouraged to

learn about cross-dressing for erotic

enjoyment as well as drag and gender

fluid identities by the department of

education when preparing for rse and

spig lessons for primary school students

this is ben scalin and you're watching

gripped media

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comment and do your part to support

independent journalism and with that

said on to the video

how much do you know about what your

children are learning at school did you

know for example that ireland's official

national curriculum body is encouraging

teachers to study quote cross-dressing

for erotic enjoyment drag gender queer

and gender fluid identities all as part

of an sbhe toolkit for primary schools

teachers are also discouraged from using

the phrase boys and girls and we're told

instead to seek a more gender neutral

alternative this revelation came from

the national council for curriculum and

assessment or ncca which is a sub-branch

of the department of education on

curriculum online dot ie which is an

ncca website they have what they call a

toolkit and they say that this toolkit

is supposed to help teachers who are

preparing for sex education classes at

the bottom of the page however there's a

list of links and these two links that

are highlighted on screen in particular

are where things start to get very

interesting to put it mildly one

document entitled using inclusive and

respectful language tells teachers to

urge students to use each other's

preferred gender pronouns it goes on to

say that these children are so young

that they're still playing with toys and

reading picture books the document reads

you may also need to be aware of your

own use of language instead of calling

the children to attention with boys and

girls get their attention in different

ways make sure toys and activities in

your class are open to everyone picture

books are a useful resource to support

children expanding their understanding

and perceptions of gender be aware that

for some children their gender identity

is evolving this means that they may be

transitioning from one gender to another

while for some other children their

gender can be a fluid so again these

children being discussed are so young

that they're still reading picture books

they're not 16 or 17 we're probably

talking about junior infants here and

they should apparently be allowed to

change their gender pronouns and they're

being taught that they can change their

gender and be gender fluid this is the

official irish department of education

policy another document entitled an

inclusive approach to sbag specifies at

the very start that it's aimed at

primary classrooms and at the back it

has a further reading page with a list

of quote-unquote helpful resources so

let's take a look at some of those

resources shall we what are teachers

being advised to read about when

preparing sphe classes well one is on

helpful terms and phrases from the

transgender equality network of ireland

or tenny and this links to a glossary of

lgbt phrases which teachers should study

for classes including but not limited to

cross-dresser demigender gender fluid

bigender multi-gender gender neutral or

agender gender queer gender variant and

many many more this is just a selection

mind you there were a good few others

the further reading page also includes a

link to a resource by lgbt ireland which

features a section on cross-dressing for

erotic enjoyment and drag transvestites

dress for numerous reasons some feel the

strong need to express femininity while

others might cross-dress for artistic

expression or erotic enjoyment however

most people who cross-dress generally

have no intention of changing their

bodies through hormones or surgeries

these experiences can also be part of

the trans umbrella this might also

include drag kings or queens who may use

exaggerated gender performances as a

means of exploring their gender identity

notably this link uses the word

transvestite although the previous tiny

link describes this as an offensive and

outdated term so i'll leave that in your

court to decide what you want to make of

that by the way if you're shocked that

you're hearing any of this for the first

time realize that all of this material

has been publicly available on the ncca

website for who knows how long but we at

gripped are the only ones who actually

did the work of investigating this so if

you want to support our vital work

please consider signing up for a 5 or 10

euro donation a month to help us

continue doing what we do but regardless

the lgbt ireland link also describes

non-binary gender saying some people

identify as having a non-binary gender

identity these people do not identify as

either a man or a woman it also

encourages the use of zizer pronouns

instead of he him or she her as in z

went to the pharmacy to pick observe

prescription and bear in mind this page

was included as a recommended resource

for irish primary school teachers by the

department of education teachers are to

study this before giving sex education

classes to children who are young enough

to read picture books in fact the lgbt

ireland page linked by the teacher's

resources features another link to a

more extensive list of different gender

terms this link includes among other

things identity doll or masker

identity which it describes as people

who dress up as plastic dolls usually

including a rubber mask a nibbling

gender-neutral way of saying a sibling a

strap-on if you don't know what that is

i won't be explaining it but if you want

to know the definition is on the screen

just be aware it's kind of gross two

spirits and many many more one of the

lgbt ireland documents linked by ncca

describes a gender fluid identity saying

gender fluid is a non-binary gender

identity gender fluid individuals

experience different gender identities

at different times a gender fluid

person's gender identity can be multiple

genders at once then switch to none at

all or move between a single gender

identity some gender fluid people

regularly move between only a few

specific genders it also adds that the

children studied were strongly gender

non-conforming from the time they could

communicate so in other words they were

transgender from the time they were

babies or toddlers the original ncca

teachers documents urge educators to

avoid quote heteronormative or

cis-normative phrases as in don't make

it seem like being straight or not

transgender is the norm it adds beware

of using language that does not provide

for the fluidity of gender or sexuality

in some people binary based language

furthermore it says that all lessons

should help to normalize lgbti plus

identities throughout the curriculum

lgbti plus identities should not be

confined to a single lesson or group of

lessons but rather all lessons should

aim to normalize lgbti plus identities

throughout the curriculum and at the end

of the day perhaps the most alarming

part of this is the fact that i don't

know how long it's been up for this

isn't new and i only stumbled across it

by chance because i specifically went

looking through the website in a

journalist the capacity it doesn't have

a date on it so who knows how long this

has been the advice to teachers now is

this being taught to children well that

remains to be seen i'm obviously not in

every single classroom in ireland so i

don't know what kids are learning but

this is the reading material being

offered to teachers by the state and the

revelation came just a week after

justice minister helen mcentee announced

a new national strategy against quote

gender-based violence including teaching

lgbtqi plus issues and sexual consent to

primary school students and so someone

needs to ask questions about all this

and that someone is us so this will

hopefully be the first installment of a

series into the irish education system

where we're going to be examining what

exactly is going on in irish schools and

to do that we need your help and so

please like and share this video and if

you enjoyed it please consider signing

up for a monthly donation via the link

on screen to help us produce more

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get and every donation goes a long way

as always thanks for watching