'Nothing but virtue signalling rubbish': Educators furious as NSW Teachers Federation calls for gender-neutral greetings in classroom instead of 'girls' and 'boys'
The NSW Teachers Federation has made a controversial call to use ''gender-neutral greetings'' in the classroom that has infuriated some educators, marking the latest attempt for schools to become more "inclusive".
The union's quarterly magazine recommends teachers withdraw traditional classroom terms such as "girls" and "boys" and instead replace them with language such as "awesome humans".
"While most teachers have moved away from saying phrases like 'Okay boys and girls', there are times when we may, accidentally, be addressing whole classes or groups using gendered language," the Journal of the NSW Teachers Federation wrote in its magazine under a section that is dedicated to gender-neutral greetings.
Colleen Harkin, Institute of Public Affairs Schools Program Director and Research Fellow, told Skynews.com.au the attempt at inclusivity is "nothing but virtue signalling rubbish from the NSW Teachers Federation".
"Parents would rightfully be appalled at this latest attempt to jam even more woke activism into classrooms," Ms Harkin said.
'As a former teacher myself, my students would have rightfully laughed me out of the room had I attempted to call them 'epic and awesome humans'. It's a dehumanising pursuit of ideological conformity that denies biological reality.
'Our education system is already in crisis with declining standards in core subjects. Schools need to focus on ensuring students are proficient in reading, writing and numeracy not radical social justice causes.'
Teachers have been provided with more than 20 inclusive terms to choose from to address their students by the magazine.
The range starts with "easy basics" such as class, people, students, everyone and everybody that are "perfect for those starting out with changing their language."
Empowering terms such as "change-makers", "future leaders" or "superstars" have also been recommended over "inappropriate" gendered language.
The recommendation then extends to subject-specific language in which English students are 'readers, writers, actors, playwrights' and 'poets', while Science students are "scientists", "explorers", "investigators".
Furious teachers reached out to radio station 2GB's Ben Fordham to express their concerns over the recommendations and criticised the various gender-neutral terms they are recommended to implement.
"Words such as experts and intellectuals have a clear definition and meaning in society,' one teacher said.
'We're now expected to categorise students in Year 9 woodworking class, with the ranks of intellectuals."
"My quarterly magazine from the NSW Teacher's Federation has arrived in the mail and it included some hints for inclusion, as a primary school teacher in a support unit, this offends me," another wrote.
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