Turn school into a space for social revolution, and in a scenario where radical, feminist and queer pedagogies prevail. This is the proposal of Yera Moreno and Melani Penna, two researchers who have developed a "Decalogue of ideas for a feminist school" that has been published by the Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) union.
Among his proposals would be to ban football at recess, create unisex bathrooms, veto the study of authors such as Neruda or Pérez-Reverte for considering them "macho and misogynist", or when speaking always use the feminine or the neutral ending in "e" to avoid sexist language.
19 proposals for a feminist school
The authors of this initiative believe that the time has come to start a revolution in schools, since they believe that these "reproduce and legitimize certain social norms", and therefore are "sexist, racist, classist, colonialist and capacitist".
That is why they have decided to develop a "Decalogue of ideas for a feminist school "aimed at the educational community, where they propose changes of various kinds, encouraging other people to send their proposals so that the ideology continues to grow.
In addition, they consider that if any of these points is not understood or shared, it would be the fault of the "sexist prejudices" of society, so in that case they appeal to the reading of authors such as Zafra Remedies, Virginia Woolf or Judith Butler between others, to start "think differently".
These are the 19 points that are collected in the decalogue by a feminist school:
Train teachers in feminism centers. A basic training program for teachers in feminism should include at least the following contents: history of feminism; importance of inclusive language; use of non-exclusive language; unlearning of competitiveness, machismo and heterosexism; consent and ways of relating positively; speech from listening and dialogue; care and affection.
Employ in the center for all teachers a non-macho language, using the feminine to speak or the gender neutral with the "e", for example, "todes".
Include at least the same number of books written by women than by men in the curriculum of Language and Literature, because quantity matters. Examples of classic and modern books and / or authors to include: Virginia Wolf, María Zambrano, Emily Dickinson, Marta Sanz, Jeannet Winterson, Ali Smith, Clarice Linspector, Sarah Waters, Alice Walker, Margaret Atwood, Alice Munro ...
Include at least the same amount of female philosophers as of male philosophers in the History of Philosophy agenda (again, quantity matters). Examples of female philosophers to include: Marina Garcés, Judith Butler, Donna Haraway, María Zambrano, Alexandria Hipatia, Mary Wollstonecraft, Hannah Arendt, Chantal Mouffe ...
Feminize the history of art and culture: there are artists, filmmakers, art historians, photographers. Name them, make your work known. Here are some names, to begin with: Dora Maar, Artemisia Gentileschi, Sofonisba Anguissola, Mary Cassatt, Claude Cahun, Esther Ferrer, Adriane Pipper, Zoe Leonard, Camille Claudel, Ana Mendieta, Tamara de Lempicka.
Change the curriculum in Sciences, talks about them, their research and contributions to physics, mathematics, medicine, astronomy. Because Marie Curie, Ada Lovelace, Rachel Carson, and many others, existed.
Delete books written by macho and misogynist authors among the possible mandatory readings for students. Examples of books and / or macho authors to eliminate from the agendas: Pablo Neruda (Twenty love poems and a desperate song), Arturo Pérez Reverte and Javier Marías (any of his books). He speaks of the misogynistic facet of certain legitimized authors as hegemonic: he explains what they said about women authors such as Rousseau, Kant, Nietzsche, among others. It will help us to have another perspective on history and its values. Add to your curriculum authors who supported equality and the feminist movement, Poullain de la Barre, J. Stuart Mill ...
Do not separate toilets between men and women. Bathrooms can be common spaces if we are taught to be. Let's think about spaces in other ways, not stigmatizing them and turning them into possible places of conflict.
He Physical Education curriculum must be common to the student body as a whole. The evaluation criteria may be different depending on many factors but, in no case, because the person to be evaluated is a woman or a man (supposedly). Let's include other ways of understanding the body and living it.
Deheterosexualize the school. Do not take heterosexuality for granted, consider that the world is enormously diverse, and a school too.
To have specific sex education subjects, as well as gender equity in all courses of all stages. These specific subjects will also include compulsory teacher training in these subjects. Because prejudices and stereotypes also cross us as teachers. Because we are a fundamental part in the perpetuation and legitimization of a patriarchal and heterosexist system.
Ban football in playgrounds. Let's make the patio a friendly space, where everyone can occupy, transit and inhabit that common space. Let us leave out those competitive games that monopolize spaces and exclude those who do not participate in them. Why football tracks and not dance floors?
Remove dress codes. Teach, through workshops and in classes, both teachers and students, to respect people, regardless of how they are dressed. Let us reject this misogynistic prejudice of thinking that certain people dress to provoke others. Understand that clothing, and what we do with our bodies, is part of each individual's individual freedom, and has nothing to do with you. Assume it.
Remove the subject of Catholic Religion, because a feminist school is a necessarily secular school.
Change the history curriculum, which has to tell the story of women and minority groups. Where are those other stories that don't tell us?
Prohibit macho songs in the center's musical band. Because misogyny, sexism and homophobia are insults, they should not have a presence in our centers.
Use feminist music in the teaching centers. For example, you can listen to singers like Rebeca Lane, Crudas Cubensi, Kumbia Queers, Chip, Alicia Ramos, Aunt Julia (search more on YouTube, Spotify, ask, listen, learn).
Change the names of schools. Eliminate all those names of centers that are Catholic or make references to military, politicians or jurists and replace them with names of women representative of the feminist movement or with names of elements of nature. What if we start to find a world where their names count, where they are present?
Make your own feminist library in your center. Read the book "A Own Room" by Virginia Woolf, and you'll understand. Buy books written and starring women. Establish through the cloister that within three academic years there must be a similar amount of books written and starring women that starring men in the center's library.
According to El Mundo, although this decalogue has been published on the website of the CCOO Teaching Federation, its secretary, Francisco García, has said that "the union is completely disconnected" of this, although he has endorsed some of the points, he has softened the content of others and added some more, in another decalogue presented on the occasion of Women's Day.
The debate is served
In general, the proposals published on the website of the CCOO Teaching Federation have not liked readers, and many people consider these ideas "distort the concept of feminism" and that banning is not the best way to achieve equality.
These are some of the comments that have been read on Twitter or on the union website following the publication:
There is nothing more macho than to think that football is only for men! #feminist school
- rebeca antelo baña (@rebeantelo) March 14, 2018
The feminist school of #ccoo has to be a fake. It is impossible for coherent people to believe that the solution against machismo that we unfortunately still live are such stupidities.
- Marcosalas (@ Marcosa70378098) March 14, 2018
But also there are those who support the measures and advocates the formation of a feminist and prejudice-free school. These are some of the comments in favor of the decalogue that can be read in the union website publication:
Personally, I consider that it is very beneficial to expand student knowledge with works, discoveries, books or scientific or physical contributions of women, but never subtracting or prohibiting, but adding.
Likewise, everyone (both at home and in schools) must be involved in educating children in equality, encourage them to be what they want to be, promote teamwork and respect and empathy for others. Why only from education and example We will be able to eradicate certain sexist behaviors and comments that continue to be perpetrated and that do so much harm to the little ones.
IStock Photos
Via CCOO Teaching Federation
- In Babies and More Educating boys and girls in feminism is possible since they are young: guidelines and advice, The 21 sexist phrases that children hear (and reproduce) from small, and that we should avoid
