"Fag" appears in grade 1 student's homework (Includes video)

[mudesi]

http://www.citynews.ca/blogs/familymatters.aspx

I honestly don't know how I feel about this. It looks like the purpose of this homework assignment was to teach tolerance, not to promote bigotry.

Here it is:


Children still use "fag" as an insult. I've seen my 7 and 13 year old little second cousins use it. I think this assignment might not be such a bad thing. Then again, should any homework assignment ever use a slur, even if it's to teach a valid lesson?

[LNM]

1. In first grade?

Well, if they didn't know what it meant before, they do now. I don't think this is acceptable.

[MADem]

7. It's CANADA---not the US. They have a big anti-bullying campaign going on nowadays up there

If it were the UK, the term would also mean a cigarette or a meatball. The US definition is starting to percolate in there, as well..

They're on the case:

January 21, 2008

It has recently been brought to the attention of Ophea (Ontario Physical and Health Education Association) that a student worksheet linked to a lesson within our Health and Physical Education Curriculum Implementation Support Documents contains inappropriate content.

Over 80 experts from school boards and public health units across the province collaborated with Ophea to develop the documents. Considering the extensive nature of the process to develop and review the materials, the revelation of inappropriate content eight years after the release of those materials is regrettable and a situation we are committed to address.

We are currently reviewing this oversight and will be undergoing a complete review of the Health and Physical Education (H&PE) Documents. Ophea will also be speaking with the concerned parties involved, exercising our responsibility to rectify this situation as expediently as possible. Ophea has recommended to school boards that they immediately withdraw the worksheet in question from the document and will provide a revised version.

These support documents were released provincially in 2000 and have been instrumental in supporting the implementation of the 1998 elementary Health and Physical Education curriculum.

They were made available to teachers through a unique partnership with English school boards in Ontario - including the Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board. School boards have a copyright agreement with Ophea, which allows them to distribute and promote the documents as part of their board's implementation strategy for Health and Physical Education.

The copyright agreement also provides school boards with the opportunity to personalize/modify (i.e. edit, delete, add) content within the documents. Teachers and administrators have the opportunity to exercise professional judgment to meet the individual needs of their students.

The student worksheet in question examines the issue of bullying, its different forms and how it makes students feel. This learning expectation is addressed in the Health and Physical Education curriculum. Therefore, we feel it is imperative that teachers are provided with tools on how to address bullying, and materials in this area are provided in the documents. We believe that the issue of name calling is very prevalent in schools and Ophea will work with educators to ensure such worksheets provide examples that are not deemed offensive in any school community.

Ophea will continue to work closely with teachers and school administrators to ensure educational materials are appropriate for use with students and help them to understand and express themselves in regard to issues of bullying as well as addressing other key areas that support active, healthy living.

Chris Markham

Executive Director & C.E.O.

Ophea

[Fabio]

2. I was always scared of having a fag tag.

Anyhow, it's weird. Is the test a diagnostic?

[Jim__]

3. If they can read that list in first grade ...

... that school is doing something right. "Threatened" as a first graders word?

[MADem]

11. In CANADA, apparently, it is! nt

[mudesi]

12. Frightening, isn't it? (nm)

[Bluebear]

4. The concept of discussing bullying is good; the slur put into print was not appropriate.

[terrya]

5. No way.

I have a big problem with using the word "fag" in a grade 1 assignment. I have a big problem introducing kids to that word so early.

[ljm2002]

9. I would bet good money...

...that the word is on the list because it is being used by the first-graders already as a taunt.

[countingbluecars]

13. Yes, without a doubt,

first graders hear that word on the school bus regularly.

[Mountainman]

6. Isn't a. and f. about the same thing? Why say "called a name" then use one of the names?

If they said, "Called a (the n word or the b word)" we'd be pretty pissed I think.

[Arkansas Granny]

15. I was thinking the same thing. It seems a little redundant to me.

[Jed Dilligan]

8. sb. "Called a fuck"

I don't think instructional material should contain that kind of language. The point won't come across because the kids will be so fascinated and excited to see a "bad" word in their assignment.

I remember once a dated grammar text (in 3rd or 4th grade) had a sample sentence that began: "Comedians often pull boners..." Needless to say the lesson did not come across.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

10. Yes. Moreover, the use of "you're so gay" should be acknowledged as unacceptable.

Otherwise, discriminatory slurs are thrown around in pure ignorance.

[kimmylavin]

14. What's the lesson here, though?

Teaching kids that being called gay is as bad as being pushed, shoved, pinched, poked or hit? That being called gay is as bad as having something stolen or being threatened? Could be me, but this seems to be early indoctrination into the idea that being gay is bad.

I think they could have just gone with a-e and been done with it. After all, they didn't include any racial or gender-based insults - why did they only go with the one based on sexual preference, and in first grade?

[formerrepuke]

16. I was unaware of the term until junior high (by which time it was unavoidable)

[acmavm]

17. Jeeze I'm old. Fags used to be a slang term for a cigarette when I was

young. I think that it came over from England with the Beatles.

[LanternWaste]

18. "Can I crap a fag with you?"

The owner of the company I work for still uses the phrase, "Can I crap a fag with you?" indicating he'd like to borrow a smoke.

Still can't get over it... :)

[NNN0LHI]

19. I still call em that

I must be older.

Don

[MediaBabe]

20. Now teach them what fag means.

My opinion is that crap like this actually teaches taunting behavior to children. There are a whole lot of little kids who have never even heard the word fag let alone discovered they can annoy their friends (and brothers) by taunting them with it.

And then they discover that while yesterday they had never even heard the word, today they come home crying because someone called them one. Where's the upside to this kind of 'education'?

[Snarkturian Clone]

21. When I was a kid

I thought that "fag" was just another meaningless put-down word and that "faggot" meant a fat fag.