Danno Posted 14 May 2014 Posted 14 May 2014 http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/education-27403902 Calling teachers "Sir" or "Miss" is depressing, sexist and gives women in schools a lower status than their male counterparts, an academic has said. Prof Jennifer Coates told the Times Educational Supplement "Sir is a knight... but Miss is ridiculous - it doesn't match Sir at all". She said she had been struck by the disparity while volunteering in a secondary school. But one educationalist said being called "Miss" was a sign of respect. Prof Coates, emeritus professor of English language and linguistics at the University of Roehampton, said she had been surprised by the different titles given to male and female teachers. Continue reading the main story If I'm in a school where students don't know me and they call me Miss, I'm fine with that. They're showing respect by giving me a title†Debbie Coslett Brook Learning Trust "I didn't think there was this awful disparity between professorial status and these young teachers, but they're all Sir and I'm not. "It's a depressing example of how women are given low status and men, no matter how young or new in the job they are, are given high status." 'Showing respect' Professor Sara Mills of Sheffield Hallam University said UK schools were moving towards allowing pupils to address their teachers by their first name. "Sometimes teachers find that they can control students more when they try to stress the similarities between them, rather than trying to keep as distant as possible," she told the TES. But Debbie Coslett, chief executive of the Brook Learning Trust in south-east England, said there was not a disparity between "Sir" and "Miss". "My response is always that my name isn't Miss; it's Mrs Coslett. "But if I'm in a school where students don't know me and they call me Miss, I'm fine with that. They're showing respect by giving me a title." What a load of shite. .
The God Emperor Posted 14 May 2014 Posted 14 May 2014 it's modern feminism, of course it's a load of shite
bovril Posted 14 May 2014 Posted 14 May 2014 Calling a female teacher 'Mum' is even worse. Not that I ever did that.
Mike the Metal Ed Posted 14 May 2014 Posted 14 May 2014 Do schools still exist where people say 'sir' or 'miss', anyway? It was always Mr./Mrs./Miss ____________ at my schools.
Guest MattP Posted 14 May 2014 Posted 14 May 2014 our eldest sun calls his male teachers sir Sounds like you should have as well.
Guest Bilo Posted 14 May 2014 Posted 14 May 2014 I can't imagine anybody at my place of work being offended by this so-called 'disparity' in titles. I can assure you that none of the women I work with are too meek and mild to accept any other term of address. Being called by your surname or first name alone is a far greater sign of disrespect.
Guest MattP Posted 14 May 2014 Posted 14 May 2014 Do schools still exist where people say 'sir' or 'miss', anyway? It was always Mr./Mrs./Miss ____________ at my schools. Plenty still do.
Guest Bilo Posted 14 May 2014 Posted 14 May 2014 I teach quite a few sixth formers, and friends find it utterly bizarre when a bearded six foot lad calls me 'sir' in Tesco's.
Danno Posted 14 May 2014 Author Posted 14 May 2014 Do schools still exist where people say 'sir' or 'miss', anyway? It was always Mr./Mrs./Miss ____________ at my schools.We do in my school.
Brizzle Fox Posted 14 May 2014 Posted 14 May 2014 When I was at Countesthorpe College in the late 80's we called the teachers by their first names. Mind you it was a pretty shit school with a distinct lack of discipline in most of the reprobates who went there. When I was at Countesthorpe College in the late 80's we called the teachers by their first names. Mind you it was a pretty shit school with a distinct lack of discipline in most of the reprobates who went there.
Vlad the Fox Posted 14 May 2014 Posted 14 May 2014 Simple kids, call your female teachers sir. They won't mind, especially if they're a ms.
Cat Burger Posted 14 May 2014 Posted 14 May 2014 I am 'Sir', unless they want something or would like to get out of trouble, in which case I'm Mr _____________ . In my experience I know of no female teacher who has ever passed comment on being called Miss. Quite why this is in the news is beyond me!
Corky Posted 14 May 2014 Posted 14 May 2014 Oh yeah, I'm sure most 4-16 year olds are very sexist in their views. If a teacher has a problem being called "Miss", I'm sure they'd correct the pupils accordingly, rather than have experts be offended on their behalf.
AKCJ Posted 14 May 2014 Posted 14 May 2014 When I was at school it was either "Sir" or "Mr. *whatever his name was*".
DennisNedry Posted 14 May 2014 Posted 14 May 2014 At Primary school is was 'Mr ....' and 'Mrs.....' At Secondary school and college we called everybody by the first name.
Filbert's Friend Posted 14 May 2014 Posted 14 May 2014 We had an issue with this when we had a female referee at rugby a few months back. We didn't know what we were supposed to call her because we're so used to calling the ref "sir" on the pitch.She just came over before the game and said "just call me 'sir' - it's not like it matters really". I didn't realise quite how sexist she was til now
Tielemans63 Posted 14 May 2014 Posted 14 May 2014 Prof Jennifer Coates needs to get a fecking life and start doing something useful. I've been teaching for 5 years and when I add up all the times I've heard female staff complain about being called Miss it comes to... less than 1. My students call me Sir but I'm pretty sure it's not because they think I'm a knight of the realm.
davieG Posted 14 May 2014 Posted 14 May 2014 We should call men and women Yeomen and Women as well then
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.