Young Girl Schools The Teacher When Answering Sexist Homework Question
You're never too young to call out sexism.
We all know there are numerous issues with the education system and, indeed, with the world in general. This is particularly evident in this case, where a young girl provides the perfect answer to a sexist question among her homework problems.
The question was a simple spelling inquiry, yet it relied on outdated social norms regarding the gendered nature of certain occupations. These antiquated beliefs can potentially be damaging to children, especially girls, as they may feel pressured to pursue a "girl" job when they grow up. It's now 2019, so please tell me we've left sexist expectations behind.
Or, at the very least, let's hope that children continue to call out sexism when they encounter it!
Her father tweeted out a picture of the homework.
The question asks for a word with "ur" in the middle that means "hospital lady."
The girl answered: "surgeon," which is the occupation of both her mother and her father.
The teacher chose to write "or nurse" in red pen next to her answer.
Naturally, Twitter responded.
One eagle-eyed user pointed out that the worksheet was created twenty years earlier! Time for an update?
Others took the time to praise the girl for her (perhaps inadvertent) ingenuity.
Let's stop limiting what girls believe they can achieve and start helping them make their way to the top!
