We have reached a dangerous juncture in this country when the Government is bowing to well-paid and well-funded ‘activists’ charged with pushing gender ideology, as opposed to actually acting in the absolute best interests of young, impressionable children.
That’s according to Aontú Senator Sarah O’Reilly who in calling for the immediate cessation of the Bí Cineálta school programme, devised for schools and initially developed to emphasise the importance of integrating children with disabilities, autism and those from impoverished backgrounds
Senator O’Reilly says
“I have been inundated with correspondence from worried teachers who simply cannot believe that this programme has deviated so much from original stated aim. It goes without saying that everybody can get behind supporting efforts to tackle bullying and promote kindness in schools and in life, but this programme is instead primarily focused on bringing Gender Affirmation ideology into the classroom.
Bí Cineálta will be embedded throughout the school curriculum so parents who don’t wish for their children to be taught gender ideology will have to remove their child from school altogether. There is no ability for parents to opt children out of learning factually incorrect information because this policy will be mandatory.
This is totalitarian and flies in the face of a real and genuine rounded education.
This programme introduces complex ideas about gender identity in ways that many parents and professionals feel are not developmentally appropriate.
It forces children to accept gender ideology as fact.
Gender ideology goes against progressive politics. It tells children that if they do not conform to rigid notions of femininity or masculinity, that they are really the opposite sex inside. It tells children that if they don’t like dolls or football then they’re outside the norm.
We have a duty to ensure that what we teach children is grounded in best practice and appropriate for their age and stage of development. We must also respect the constitutional role of parents in guiding their children’s education.
I find it absolutely staggering that there was ZERO consultation with parents about this programme.
After the Cass report was published the north of Ireland, France, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Hungary, Poland, and Italy immediately removed gender ideology from their curriculum because they took the advice of experts and not activists.
We always seem to be behind the curve with issues like this. When other countries became aware of the harm this could do to children, they acted immediately to protect them.
However, the Irish Government is so unsure of itself that it will buckle under the pressure of the Gender Ideology activists whose job it is to push this damaging drive. They are extremely well funded.
How did we get to this place where the Department of Education is ignoring the voices of those who matter most: students, parents and teachers.
Psychiatrist and member of the Cass Review Clinical Expert group Dr Paul Moran has stated that “The Department of Health should reconsider some of the overtly affirmative educational and training materials it is sending to schools and he has also questioned the prominent role that has been given to activist organisations over clinical advice to policy development and teacher training.
The Government is aware of this discourse and thankfully dropped the idea of letting under 16s medically transition from the programme for government. We need the government and the department to lead the way on ensuring education is based solely on factual evidence rather than biased ,unscientific and highly funded agendas.
We have hundreds of children with special educational needs without a school place. We have chronic absenteeism. Teachers are warning us that Leaving Cert reform is being rushed, and standards are being diluted. Parents across the country are feeling shut out of decisions about their children’s education. The insidious and relentless push to embed gender ideology appears to be taking precent over all these issues .
What we’re seeing is a system that is no longer listening, not to professional expertise, not to parents, and not to reality.
Every child deserves support and respect and that must come through evidence-based, age-appropriate policies.
A world class education system shouldn’t turn a blind eye to what is factually true.
Schools should be places of education and factual knowledge not arenas to push particular and highly selective agendas.
