Friday 11th October is ‘International Day of the Girl’ and Lotus class (Years 5 and 6) has been exploring the question, “Are boys and girls equal?” through a class discussion and written work. Here are some extracts from their work:
From girls in Lotus class:
“I think that girls and boys are equal and should be allowed to go to school together. Girls are not treated the same way to boys in some countries and I think that is very unfair and they have to get married very young and to marry someone they don’t want to get married with. At the Dharma School everybody is treated the same because the girls and boys are friends so we all get along.”
“In some parts of Africa girls are not allowed a proper education and the boys are the ones with all the power and they get the better jobs and education. If I ever get to be an MP, I would try to stop this in all schools on earth.”
“We play football with the boys but that doesn’t happen in all schools. It’s ok for a boy to do ballet and girls to play football or whatever they want, the main thing is they have the choice to decide what they like doing.”
“I think girls and boys should be treated the same way. I hope that when I grow up we shall be past sexism and as a girl I hope my future children will have the same rights, boy or girl. The Dharma school is a fair and just school, it’s the future in the present.”
From boys in Lotus class:
“Girls should have just as much education as boys and be able to make babies and money whenever is right for them. And girls have the right to show they are strong and fast in sport if they actually are.”
“Because girls don’t look very tough when they are young doesn’t mean they aren’t strong. If you’re grown up try and make your girl feel confident and also strong inside and teach your daughter to have no fear inside of her so if people say you’re weak to her she could prove that she isn’t.”
“I would really like it if people would stop being so stupid and realise that we are not living in the 1800s, we are living in the 21st century and they should let girls go to school in neglected parts of the world so they can actually have a life.”
“I think maybe in some countries where girls aren’t allowed to go to school it might be because the men are really really paranoid and think that if they give the girls an education they might actually overthrow the boys.”
“Girls and boys are equal but they are just different and that is important so that babies can happen.”