Parents at 'cat gender' row school slam teachers over 'woke issues'
‘All this gender politics is stressing the children out’: Parents at ‘cat gender’ row school slam teachers for ‘focusing on ”woke” issues instead of education’
- Parents criticised the teacher for bringing ‘gender politics’ into the classroom
Parents of pupils attending the school at the centre of a cat gender row have reportedly slammed teachers for ‘focusing on ”woke” issues instead of education’.
Shocking audio footage last week from Rye College in East Sussex revealed that a teacher called a teenage pupil ‘despicable’ for disputing the idea that a classmate could identify as a cat.
The clip includes a heated exchange in which the disgruntled teacher says the Year 8 youngster needed a ‘proper educational conversation about equality, diversity and inclusion’.
But now parents are criticising the teacher for bringing ‘gender politics’ into the classroom, which they allege is ‘stressing the children out’.
One couple, whose daughter in Year 7 was brought to tears by the incident, added that it is ‘wrong’ to tell students they ‘can’t have an opinion’.
Rye College said on Thursday ‘no children’ at the school ‘identify as a cat or any other animal’.
Meantime, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak commented on the debate, arguing that educators should not be ‘shutting down debate’ between pupils.
Parents of pupils attending Rye College in East Sussex (pictured), the school at the centre of a cat gender row, have reportedly slammed teachers for ‘focusing on ”woke” issues instead of education’
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (pictured on Thursday) commented on the debate, arguing that educators should not be ‘shutting down debate’ between pupils
The parents of a Year 7 pupil told The Sun that there has been too much focus on ‘woke’ issues and not enough of a priority on education.
‘Everything has gone woke. Teachers should concentrate on teaching and shouldn’t be telling them they don’t belong in school,’ a concerned mother said.
‘All this gender politics is stressing the children out and it’s wrong to tell them they can’t have an opinion.’
The girl’s father added that the interaction between the teacher and the student ‘made me angry’. He claims the educator had ‘no right to say a pupil’s opinion is wrong’.
He revealed that although his daughter is not in the same year as the pupil involved in the debate, the fallout has left her ‘crying about the fuss and stress it has caused’.
He added: ‘It’s highlighted how gender politics has taken over schools. It’s not good. I feel heads across Britain need a clear plan on this issue.’
MailOnline has approached Rye College for comment.
Women and Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch ordered a snap Ofsted inspection into the school after the incident.
But Rye College said it had already met with the Department for Education to share a ‘comprehensive update’ on what happened.
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, slammed Ms Badenoch’s decision as ‘unnecessary’ and accused her of ‘grandstanding’ over the issue.
Women and Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch (pictured on Thursday) ordered a snap Ofsted inspection into the school
Earlier last week the House of Commons heard Education Secretary Gillian Keegan (pictured last Tuesday) had ‘launched an investigation’ in response
In her letter to school regulator Ofsted, Ms Badenoch said that the ‘widely circulated recording of a teacher acting inappropriately regarding her pupil’s beliefs about sex and gender’ raised issues about ‘safeguarding at the school’.
She added the teacher in question was ‘not acting in a way consistent’ with the 2010 Equality Act’s requirements, nor ‘in accordance with Ofsted’s Education Inspection Framework’s requirements to promote respect for the different protected characteristics as defined in law.’
Ms Badenoch also said by teaching ‘contested political beliefs as fact’ such as there being ‘lots of genders’, the school risked breaching political impartiality requirements set out under the 1996 Education Act.
Earlier last week the House of Commons heard Education Secretary Gillian Keegan had ‘launched an investigation’ in response, with MPs also raising concerns in Parliament.
And on Thursday, the school confirmed it had met with the DfE’s regional director for the South East and shared a ‘comprehensive update on the events whoch took place before, during and after the recording’ and that no pupil identifies as a ‘cat’ or ‘any other animal’.
It said it would ‘as always, fully support and engage with the process’ should an Ofsted inspection go ahead.
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