Children as young as seven could be 'mixed berry gender-fluid muffins', sex education pamphlet says
13 March 2023, 10:23
Children as young as seven could be “mixed berry gender fluid muffins”, teachers have been told in a sex education pamphlet.
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A 170-page "Agenda" guide, promoted to all schools by the welsh government, claims that biological sex “is not just ‘male’ and 'female’”.
It adds that some “want to change our gender pronouns (eg. from he to she) or want to be ‘agender’”.
The pamphlet, obtained by the Telegraph, is aimed at seven to 18-year-olds and was produced by Cardiff University academics in partnership with the Welsh government, the Children's Commissioner for Wales and charities.
It comes after it was revealed that pupils in some secondary schools have been told there are 100 genders, which has led to Rishi Sunak ordering an urgent review into the matter.
One section on gender identity recommends teachers play the “mixed-muffin gender berry challenge” to learn about “how you can't assume someone’s gender by how they look”.
The game consists of making batches of blueberry muffins to represent stereotypes of masculinity, raspberry muffins to represent stereotypes of femininity, and mixed muffins “to represent gender fluidity”.
Teachers are then asked to break open the muffins and stand alongside a corresponding coloured balloon in a room.
However, there are only blue and pink balloons, with no mixed balloons.
It is intended to give staff a taste of “what it felt like to go to a gender-coded corner that they might not identify with” and “what it feels like to be given a gender you might not choose”.
Another game recommendation is "gender-snap pairs", where teachers "decide which sex-switching or gender-bending worlds you want to explore" to "crack open a little bit of those rigid gender binaries".
In addition to the practical suggestions, staff are also urged to research "species that challenged traditional gender roles", such as seahorses and slipper snails.
Laura Anne Jones, Wales’s shadow education minister, told the paper: “The materials being pushed and approved by the Labour Welsh government are highly inappropriate and not at all age-appropriate for our children.
“The images and suggested teachings are not based on biological fact... Whether it be sex education or self ID, this Labour government in Wales is determined to push gender ideology, against the wishes of the Welsh public.”
A Welsh Government spokesman said they had not commissioned the resource, adding: “Any resources that schools use must be in line with the legal requirements and they must be developmentally appropriate. It must also be factual and neutral.
“We have also encouraged schools to discuss their proposals on Relationship Sex Education teaching with parents and carers in an engaged and constructive way, we know that many parents have found this approach useful.”
A Department for Education spokesman said: “It is incredibly important that we take the time to get the guidance right, and the education secretary is working closely with the women and equalities minister to produce a draft for consultation before final publication later this year."
