Gender-neutral school in Sweden; boys and girls are "friends"

[Doppel]

A few good laughs in here:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110626/ap_on_re_eu/eu_fea_sweden_gender_neutral_tots

At the "Egalia" preschool, staff avoid using words like "him" or "her" and address the 33 kids as "friends" rather than girls and boys.
...
Lego bricks and other building blocks are intentionally placed next to the kitchen, to make sure the children draw no mental barriers between cooking and construction.[lol wut]
...
From a bookcase, she pulls out a story about two male giraffes who are sad to be childless — until they come across an abandoned crocodile egg.

Nearly all the children's books deal with homosexual couples, single parents or adopted children. There are no "Snow White," "Cinderella" or other classic fairy tales seen as cementing stereotypes.

Seems kind of like instead of encouraging the idea that females are as good as boys and vice versa they just want to pretend they are the same altogether; kind of answering the issue by pretending it doesn't exist.

 

[LumbergTech]

I like the idea they have in mind, but I'm not convinced that the specific things they are doing have any empirical research to back them up as accomplishing their goals.

 

[ProfJohn]

From a bookcase, she pulls out a story about two male giraffes who are sad to be childless — until they come across an abandoned crocodile egg.

Which hatches and eats them while they are sleeping.

 

[ProfJohn]

What matters is that children understand that their biological differences "don't mean boys and girls have different interests and abilities," Rajalin says. "This is about democracy. About human equality."

Seriously?

A hundred thousand years of evolutions suggests otherwise. Even new born babies show stark gender difference in how they deal with problems.

 

[Bateluer]

Oh jeebus, those poor kids.

 

[irishScott]

$20 says Political Correctness will be mandated by the Swedish Constitution within 10 years.

 

[Throckmorton]

They call it "neutral" but it sounds more like they're grooming kids to become GLBT.

 

[ConstipatedVigilante]

Seriously?

A hundred thousand years of evolutions suggests otherwise. Even new born babies show stark gender difference in how they deal with problems.

Yep. There's a reason why women like shiny things and plants so much (hunting/gathering evolution makes them more sensitive to color), and guys like tools/machines so much.

 

[Doppel]

Seriously?

A hundred thousand years of evolutions suggests otherwise. Even new born babies show stark gender difference in how they deal with problems.

Ridiculous.

 

[Slew Foot]

Loliberals. Sweden will be covered in minarets in 20 years.

 

[Jaskalas]

Is this to correct for some notion that society constructed a problem with gender?

 

[davmat787]

Is this to correct for some notion that society constructed a problem with gender?

This is what I am wondering as well. What exactly is the problem they are trying to address here? That boys and girls are ZOMG different?

I wonder what they have to say about the Swedish Bikini Team? :awe:

 

[nonlnear]

This is what I am wondering as well. What exactly is the problem they are trying to address here? That boys and girls are ZOMG different?

I wonder what they have to say about the Swedish Bikini Team? :awe:

It probably won't be long before the team is more inclusive.

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

Seriously?

A hundred thousand years of evolutions suggests otherwise. Even new born babies show stark gender difference in how they deal with problems.

Yea, I'm all about letting people be the way they want, but this school is just stupid.

 

[davmat787]

Where does this road lead? Is the ultimate desire to have an androgynous population where everyone wears the same shiny jumpsuit and reproduction occurs in a lab? I know I am stretching things here, but damn, saying boys and girls are not different is a recipe for fail. I see nothing wrong with fully embracing the differences that make men and women what they are. This does not equate to saying men are better than women after all.

 

[Throckmorton]

I think I get it. There's nothing wrong with boys playing with dolls and girls playing with trucks, but apparently there IS something wrong with boys playing with trucks and girls playing with dolls. De-gender/re-gender those wrong poor gendered children immediately

 

[Jimmah]

Oh jeebus, those poor kids.

Well, it sounds no worse than the system in the US or even Canada. We're no experts on this so who are we to judge, even if it sounds weird. Good for them for trying something different.

 

[sMiLeYz]

It sounds fucking silly to be honest, but than again we got schools here teaching creationism and that man roamed with Dinosaurs in the garden of eve.

 

[shortylickens]

If the movies I have seen are any indication, "friends" in Sweden means you dont come in her butt on the first date.

 

[spittledip]

I think Swedes may overcompensating for being considered "dumb" in the past. Somehow this type of thinking may be considered sophisticated in some circles.

 

[Double Trouble]

Absolutely stupid, once again raising the bar for human stupidity to new heights. Men and women are biologically different. It doesn't mean one should force either of them into specific roles or deny them choices, it means they are different. Denying that fact is sheer stupidity, brought on by politically correct idiocy run amok.

Then, as if denial of a biological fact isn't bad enough you get

Nearly all the children's books deal with homosexual couples, single parents or adopted children. There are no "Snow White," "Cinderella" or other classic fairy tales seen as cementing stereotypes.

These kids are essentially groomed to be screwed up.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Where does this road lead? Is the ultimate desire to have an androgynous population where everyone wears the same shiny jumpsuit and reproduction occurs in a lab? I know I am stretching things here, but damn, saying boys and girls are not different is a recipe for fail. I see nothing wrong with fully embracing the differences that make men and women what they are. This does not equate to saying men are better than women after all.

don't give me a high-five, we have to wave our hands at each other. here's a warning ticket.

now, do you want to go eat at taco bell or not?

</demolition man>

 

[IronWing]

I bet the kids will figure out the differences anyway.

 

[silverpig]

I bet they put urinals in the girls' bathroom too.

 

[IronWing]

I bet they put urinals in the girls' bathroom too.

This would make a hilarious video if you could get past accusations of child porn.


Related:
My wife was having a telephone conversation with a friend. She could hear in the background "Look mommy, I can pee like daddy!" to which mom replied "Oh no Susie, it's much better to pee like mommy."