1/2012 / Gender issues
Introduction
1. The gender implications of vocational and work-related learning are a major issue for the development of a 14 to 19 curriculum for the 21st century. One of the advantages of a full national curriculum followed by all pupils in the 1980s and early 1990s was the elimination of choice at 13+ and of gender stereotypes in subjects such as science and technology. The recent diversification of the 14 to 19 curriculum and the growth of applied or vocational learning pre- and post-16 have both once again required young people to make choices that relate to their future at impressionable times in their life. In many cases there is evidence that these choices are again being made on the basis of gender stereotypes.
2. Choices for Key Stage 4 usually take place in the middle of puberty – a time when most young people are experiencing major gender-related changes in their body, emotions and view of themselves. Schools should introduce discussion of the issues that relate to gender stereotyping in choices well before the onset of puberty. During puberty learners also need support to understand the long term implications of choices made at that stage of their lives.
The Sex Discrimination Act (1975)
3. In January 1976 it became illegal for any school or college to practice any form of gender discrimination. Since then mixed institutions must ensure that both boys and girls have the same curriculum opportunities and that teaching and learning does not disadvantage one gender to the advantage of the other. Single sex school must also ensure that their students’ opportunities are not restricted through gender stereotyping and/or discrimination. In the late 1970s and 1980s a number of schools were successfully sued by parent of students on the grounds of breaches of sex discrimination legislation.
4. The re-emergence of widespread choice at the end of Key Stage 3 has once again raised the prospect of similar legal action. In Ofsted’s 2000 report on the provision of alternative work-related learning at Key Stage 4 the authors expressed concerns that many schools were at risk of prosecution as access to such alternative provision was often based upon the gender of the student. Mixed schools that participate in “Take your daughters to work” events are also at risk of prosecution by parents if similar activities are not available to boys in the same school.
The Gender Equality Duty
5. Section 84 of the 2006 Equality Act introduces a general statutory duty on public authorities to have ‘due regard to the need to (a) eliminate unlawful discrimination and harassment, and (b) promote equality of opportunity between men and women in the exercise of public functions.’ There are specific duties requiring Local Authorities, schools and colleges to identify equality objectives and to produce a gender equality scheme to show how they will achieve them. This could include ensuring learners needs in terms of economic well-being are not stereotyped. Connexions services and other providers of information, advice and guidance will need to re-think the design and delivery of their services to ensure they meet the new requirements.
The 2000 Policy Action Team 14 report
6. In 2000 the DfE published the results of the work of the Policy Action Team 14 which included a survey of the views of young people about their lives and education. In the survey 67% of girls said they felt that their work related learning at school and college had failed to reflect the changing role of women in the world of work and in society generally. Too much of their work-related learning tended to be about stereotypical roles for women in the workplace, at home and in society.
7. As a result of the Action Team report the DfE and the government’s Women’s Unit published a teaching resource for schools and colleges in 2000 called Go for it!: Challenging stereotypes and promoting equal opportunities. The publication was produced for the DfE by the Centre for Education and Industry at the University of Warwick. As the DfES publication is now out-of–print, in 2006, CEI updated the materials and have now published them as Work-related learning and equal opportunities.
8. Part One is about raising the issues, which includes problem solving activities, opinions and case studies for discussion, matching people to job descriptions, statistics on gender differences in the workplace and ways of dealing with inappropriate questions at interviews. Part two is a set of confidence building activities’ which includes activities on rights and responsibilities in the workplace, assertiveness and what to do if faced with unacceptable situations.
The Women at Work Commission report
9. Tony Blair’s speech to the Labour Party pre-election conference in 2005 included a pledge to eliminate the ‘glass ceiling’ for women in the workplace. As a result, his government set up a Women at Work Commission to look at barriers to women in the workplace. The commission published their initial report, Shaping a fairer future, in February 2006. The report focused on the many barriers to women that exist in the workplace but also identified a range of issues that relate to the education of girls. In particular the report commented on the fact that:
§ Too many girls, mainly from working class backgrounds, still choose occupations that are low paid and offer few promotion opportunities.§ Many well-qualified girls (with excellent GCSEs, A levels and degrees) are frequently overtaken in terms of pay and promotion by less qualified men within five years of employment.
10. The report concluded that the curriculum in schools and colleges needs to address these issues. The Government responded to the Women at Work report in September 2006 with a number of suggestions that are relevant to the work of staff in schools and colleges.
§ Ensuring the DfE Gender Equality Scheme addresses the issues raised in the report.§ Teacher training will be changed to address stereotypes in the workplace.
§ Work experience should be developed to encourage challenges to stereotyping. Careers literature for parents to be improved to increase understanding of opportunities for both genders.
§ Information advice and guidance to be improved to challenge stereotypes.
§ Guidance to be provided for early years workers to tackle stereotypes at an early stage.
§ Single sex schools to be encouraged to specialise in non-traditional subjects
§ The promotion of non-stereotypical role models by government and in the media
The Commission for Equality & Human Rights
11. In 2001 the then Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) published What’s stopping you? a programme of resources for schools and those who give careers advice to help challenge stereotypes and to promote equal opportunities for all learners. As well as providing advice on how choices can be widened by challenging stereotypes the pack includes posters, statistics and opinions that can be used as discussion starters in lessons
12. The EOC also completed an investigation into why young people still choose traditional occupations for their gender, called Free to choose. As a result of the investigation they have now produced free Action for change materials for schools, colleges and others on how to tackle gender barriers to better jobs. Information and order forms can be found on their web site. The materials include advice eon how careers advice professionals and those involved in work-related learning can break down gender segregation in vocational education, training and work. The EOC is now part of the Commission for Equality and Human rights. Their packs can still be obtained from www.equalityhumanrights.com where there is also a section on sex stereotyping in education and at work and a section for young people on knowing their rights.
GERI
13. The Gender Equality and Race Inclusion (GERI) project also provides support for schools and colleges in tackling issues relating to stereotyping and discrimination. On their web site, www.geriproject.org there is information on a limited free consultancy service to 14 to 19 providers, events explaining the new Gender Equality Duty and resources for teachers. Their two newest resources are a 2007 toolkit for equality and diversity and an interactive drama DVD.
14. In September 2006 the National Association of Connexions Partners (NACP) published, in collaboration with the EOC and the DfES, Challenging Gender Barriers. The book describes a number of initiatives developed through GERI. There is information on five projects about young women into construction, two on young women in engineering and three on young men in child care. There is also information on the Gender Equality Duty and how Connexions services can support the EOC’s ‘Free to Choose’ campaign.
Genderwatch
15. The first edition of Genderwatch was published in 1987 by the precursor of the National Curriculum Council, the SCDC. A second edition was published in 1992 following the Education Reform Act’s impact on schools. A completely new edition was published in 2007 containing 227 articles on different aspects of gender in education. The publication can be obtained from Trentham books.
Girl’s Attitudes Survey 2011
16. The 2011 Girls' Attitudes Survey just published by Girlguiding UK asked 1,200 girls and young women between 7 and 21 for their views on key issues affecting their lives. Some of the things the girls said were:
· earning a good salary and having a job that is interesting and satisfying is important when thinking about a career;
· concern over paying for college or university has risen from 30% of pupils in the 2010 survey to 50% of pupils in 2011;
· three in ten girls think that worries about sexism in the workplace put girls off a career in science and engineering.
Approaches to gender issues in vocational and work-related learning
17. There are a number of ways in which schools and colleges can challenge prejudices, stereotypes, harassment and discrimination and widen choices available to all young people. These include:
§ awareness raising and training for all adults involved in advising young people about progression and future opportunities;§ specific training for careers and subject staff on challenging stereotypes, discrimination and harassment;
§ encouraging take-up of non-traditional subjects for both boys and girls;
§ revising teaching and learning styles to recognise the different needs of boys and girls;
§ involving parents in all activities that address gender stereotyping and discrimination;
§ providing information on pay and prospects in a full range of occupations, especially those stereotypically associated with girls;
§ encouraging non-typical traditional work experience placements for both girls and boys and using non-traditional role models
§ encouraging career-related activities in primary schools to prevent the development of stereotypes at an early age;
§ building similar activities into each year of key stage 3;
§ ensuring all teaching and career-related materials are appropriate for both boys and girls;
§ using non-traditional role-play or drama activities to address stereotyping, discrimination and harassment in education and the work place;
§ holding equal opportunity events involving local employers and professionals;
§ providing assertiveness training and advice for young people and practice in how to respond to inappropriate behaviour by others;
§ encouraging young people to talk about their experiences of stereotyping, discrimination and harassment;
§ ensuring national and local Labour Market Information (LMI) is up-to-date and available to all parties involved in progression decisions;
§ ensuring all young people who make non-traditional decisions know how to access support whenever they encounter problems in the future;
§ identifying any issues within the school or college that create gender related issues for staff and learners.
Leaflets in the series
JA01 – Flexibility in opportunities and requirements at KS4
JA03 – Effective vocational learning / JA04 – Approved qualifications for KS4 or earlier
JA05 - Alternative programmes at KS4 / JA06 – Vocational and work-related learning for all
JA07 – Meeting the needs of individual learners / JA08 - Meeting the needs of gifted and talented learners
JA09 – Using Key Stage 3 to prepare for Key Stage 4 / JA10 - Effective careers education for all
JA11 – Quality work experience for all learners / JA12 – Effective education business links
JA13 – The changing nature of work / JA14 – Education for enterprise and entrepreneurialism
JA15 – Financial capability / JA16 – Qualifications for preparation for working life
JA17 – Disapplication / JA18 - Integrated approaches to personal development
JA19 – Work-related learning and the law / JA20 - Inspection of preparation for working life
JA21 – Coordinating preparation for working life / JA23 – Work-based pathways
JA25 – New 14 to 19 Diplomas / JA26 – Gender issues
JA27 – Improving employability / JA29 – Impartial information advice and guidance
JA30 - Economic well-being / JA31 – Strategies for employer engagement
JA32 – Personal learning and thinking skills / JA33 – Functional skills in core GCSEs
JA34 – New approaches to the national curriculum in KS3 / JA35 – Relevant contexts to learning in general subjects
N.B. missing numbers are for leaflets withdrawn from the set as they are no longer relevant
John Allen January 2012 www.staffpart.org
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