Exceptions
An exception is made for admission to single-sex schools, but the
facilities available at such schools should not be inferior to those
at other schools in the area. Single-sex teaching groups in co-educational
schools are also lawful, provided the provision to boys and girls
is equal.
Admission
Schools cannot refuse admission to a prospective pupil on the ground
of their sex, or to try to maintain a gender balance by admitting
one sex but not another when places are limited. In the private sector,
if tests are used as part of a screening or selection process, girls
and boys must sit identical tests, and the calculation of scores must
not be based on the use of different sex norms.
Curriculum
Girls and boys must have precisely the same access to the curriculum.
That is, exactly the same amount of subject teaching and the same
subject options. Most schools start with this premise, but also aim
to ensure a broad and balanced curriculum. A good curriculum is relevant
to all pupils; it reflects diversity and cultural heritage; it builds
in positive images and positive action to ensure equality of opportunity
is met.
The
hidden curriculum
Children learn a great deal at school and not just from formal classroom
lessons. What they see around them teaches them as well. Images and
pictures in books and on walls; who does what in the school; rules
and regulations give clear messages. For example, if all the books
are about boys having adventures and girls doing the washing up this
does not provide good role models or a real picture of what life is
really like. Thankfully there is a much wider choice of books now
available in schools which provide a more stimulating selection to
the young reader. There are many ways in which, often unintentionally,
differences based on gender can lead to different treatment. This
can give the wrong signals about what girls or boys can achieve.
Careers
guidance
Pupils should have equal access to course option consultation and
careers guidance, and the counselling offered must not be discriminatory.
Girls and boys should be made aware of the full range of options available
and be encouraged to participate in the broad range of work experiences
on offer. Furthermore, pupils should be positively encouraged beyond
conventional choices. Positive images such as girls in technology
should be used to encourage others. Similarly, boys that choose modern
languages, home economics or secretarial studies should not be deflected
by sexist assumptions. They should also be encouraged without bias.
Pupils should not be given the impression that there are ‘jobs
for men and jobs for women’, but should be encouraged to make
subject choices and follow career paths which interest them and correspond
with their talents. Careers advice and literature must not differentiate
between ‘male’ and ‘female’ employment.
Pastoral
care and personal and social development
Pastoral care in schools provides for the emotional, physical and
social needs of individual pupils. All adults in a school should work
to foster the belief that all people have value in their own right,
and to create a non-threatening atmosphere that encourages co-operation.
Guidance staff offer support to all pupils within their remit, both
individually and in groups, and focus particularly on pupils who are
socially or emotionally needy or at risk, and those who have encountered
discrimination or harassment.
Discipline
Not only should the disciplinary policy be the same for both sexes,
but the same standards should be expected of girls and boys. Responses
to disruptive behaviour should be free of bias, and reactions to disruptive
behaviour based on stereotypical images should be discouraged. For
example, a pupil should not be reprimanded for behaving in what is
perceived to be an ‘unfeminine’ or ‘unmasculine’
way. If behaviour is praise-worthy or unacceptable, this should be
decided regardless of the pupil’s sex.
Language
Language, spoken as well as written, is a powerful means of reinforcing
or developing attitudes, and consideration should be given to the
language used in teaching. The use of gender-dependent words such
as headmaster rather than head teacher should be avoided, and attempts
should be made to find gender-neutral words, especially when defining
occupations, for example, fire-fighter, police officer. The use of
sexist terms should be discouraged. The school’s discipline
policy should make it clear that sexist language which uses gender
as a form of abuse will not be tolerated.
Teaching
materials
All pupils should have unbiased access to school resources and teaching
materials. These materials should avoid the depiction of adults in
traditional stereotypical roles, and males and females should be equally
represented in textbooks, posters and other visual aids. These should
represent all sections of society and challenge prejudice,
injustice, racist and sexist views. With regard to school equipment,
research has suggested that boys dominate the use of equipment in
science, technology, design and computer studies. Practices must therefore
be in place to ensure that both sexes receive equal hands-on experience.
Accommodation
and facilities
Accommodation and facilities provided in school must take account
of all pupils. Classrooms should be safe and stimulating places for
everyone. They should also be organised so as to present a welcoming
aspect to both sexes. This is particularly important in the areas
of science and technology where in the past a ‘macho’
image or ethos may have been created which was off-putting to many
girls. A contrasting environment may have been created in other subject
areas such as Home Economics, with similar results for boys. Just
as teaching materials should be widely representative of society,
the school environment as a whole should portray positive images of
all members of society, especially those who are often portrayed negatively,
and should challenge stereotypes.
Dress/Uniform
Requiring girls and boys to wear separate school uniforms may be in
breach of the Sex Discrimination Act. School uniform has tended in
the past to be based on male norms, for example the wearing of ties
has been expected of both boys and girls. Recent attempts to modernise
uniform have favoured a unisex approach with sweatshirts as an alternative.
Schools might wish, however, to adopt a less prescriptive approach:
if it is simply made clear that pupils are expected to dress in a
way that is appropriate, safe and practical, some of the confrontation
arising in this sensitive area might be averted.
Extra-Curricular
Activities and Sports
Girls and boys must have the same access to all extra-curricular and
out-of-school activities, such as chess clubs, hockey clubs or theatre
visits. Single-sex competitions in sports are permitted where physical
differences between the sexes could disadvantage women or girls. In
some schools this has provided legal support for continuing to divide
girls and boys into sporting activities traditional to their sex.
There is strong evidence, however, that many pupils at both primary
and secondary levels are eager and able to participate in a full range
of sports, not just in single-sex teams but also in mixed competitive
events.
Bullying
and Harassment
Sexual harassment is not defined in the Sex Discrimination Act, but
it can be described as unwanted physical or verbal abuse of a sexual
nature which adversely affects an individual. Bullying and harassment
in schools most often occurs when a pupil becomes a victim of other
pupils. Bullying of this kind tends to arise from sexual stereotyping
of the worst kind, and is based on the popular notions of ‘acceptable’
male or female behaviour. Boys and girls whose appearance or behaviour
does not conform to popular myths are often cruelly victimised by
their peers. Schools should ensure that their Equal Opportunities
and Bullying Policies make it clear that such behaviour will not be
tolerated. Coercion, however, is ineffective if unsupported by good
practice. If schools continue to do as much as possible to generate
an unbiased culture of mutual respect, it is hoped that incidences
of bullying and sexual harassment will decrease, and that, as pupils
progress into the adult world, society itself will gradually be influenced
in its thinking.
Assessment
Procedures for classroom testing and assessment must not discriminate
against pupils on the ground of sex. Girls and boys should be set
the same tests, and different sex norms must not be used in the calculation
of the test score.
