I’m not a father, so deciding which school to enrol my kid is not a decision I will never need to make. So, let me ask others out there… is he right? Is the whole gender identity discussion in schools really that toxic? Or (as I suspect), its being exaggerated by conservatives?
Whilst most are generally of a conservative nature, not all private schools have an issue with the gender identity issue Ian.
In fact some are embracing gender & cultural diversity as a point of difference, despite the religious framework of the school.
The school my son went to for example was considerably more progressive than conservative.
They encouraged children to be proud of who they were, rather than try to conform to traditional thinking. Some would even say it's gone too far the other way.
That said the school's philosophy had a big influence on our decision to send our son there.
From our limited schooling experience in both public & private sectors, there are good public schools & good private schools, just as their are bad public & private schools.
Those who wish to pigeon hole & tar both sectors with the same brush do a disservice to both schooling processes. Frustratingly this happens a lot.
Each parent just needs to do the research as to what schooling environment is best for their child & what they can afford.
From my POV, choosing a Private School for our son had far less to do with religion (we are not religious at all) than it did the facilities, support networks & opportunities the school provided to get the best out of our son's education.
Having seen both sides of the coin, unfortunately the public school system is not at the level it was when we were growing up as Governments have stripped finances from the public system over decades. Believe me when I say I'm a supporter of state schooling but in many cases the support systems are not there in the public sector now.
Ultimately though there's no guarantees about any school environment.
Probably 80% of it comes down to parenting & what sort of child you have.
Schools can only influence so much.
