Gender Neutral School at Swedish Preschool
A preschool in Sweden wants to eliminate gender bias by referring to children as “friends,” instead of girls and boys, and avoiding gender-specific pronouns such as “him” or “her.”
At the taxpayer-funded “Egalia” preschool in Stockholm, which opened last year for children ages 1-6, boys and girls play together with a toy kitchen, which is located next to the Lego bricks, the Associated Press reports.They read books featuring gay and lesbian couples, single parents and adopted children, instead of fairy tales such as “Cinderella” or “Snow White,” which are rife with gender stereotypes.
School staff try to avoid masculine and feminine references in their speech, for example by not using the Swedish pronouns “han” or “hon” for him or her, and instead using the genderless word “hen,” which doesn’t formally exist in the Swedish language.
"Society expects girls to be girlie, nice and pretty and boys to be manly, rough and outgoing," teacher Jenny Johnsson told the AP. "Egalia gives them a fantastic opportunity to be whoever they want to be."
A 2010 report by the World Economic Forum on the global gender gap found that Sweden and three other Nordic countries lead the world when it comes to gender equality. Sweden is also considered a pioneer in legalizing gay and lesbian partnerships.
MY TAKE
Really? I'm all for equality amongst race, gender, sexual orientation....but to raise your child without gender?
Maybe it's my Christian upbringing, foundation and continued devotion, but I believe that equality does not come from becoming someone you are not. Equality comes from tolerance, acceptance and love - qualities that are supposed to be taught by parents, educators, mentors. Only through tolerance will we ever find equal rights among ourselves.
Here is a video newscast of the new "gender neutral" school - Comment with your thoughts - Please share this article with friends through the Twitter and Facebook tabs below. Also, do you have a second? Please click on the button below to vote for Going Green with Noah on Top Mommy Blogs!
Comments