Life’s shaping forces: Identity and the politics of parental rights in education

Instead, gender identity has become an instrument of bitter political division. In the US State of Florida, Governor Ron Di Santos has made parental rights an election issue.

His claim that parental rights are at risk in the classroom where teachers push a ‘woke’ agenda that includes teaching about diversity and gender identity, has galvanised conservative parents into action. Not so coincidentally, NSW One Nation MP Mark Latham is following hot on Di Santos’s heels.

Mark Latham now promotes himself as the protector of parental rights that he also claims are threatened by the ‘woke’ agenda of teachers. Mark Latham would like to ban teachers from discussing gender identity with students or allowing them access to information about it without parental consent. 

Mark Latham’s “Educational Legislation Amendment (Parental Rights) Bill (2020) was rejected in State Parliament. Currently, NSW school teachers are mandated to present age-appropriate learning activities about diversity and gender identity as outlined in the Personal Development, Health and Physical Education K-12 Syllabus, which is freely available for anyone to read.

While some parents are opposed to teaching about sexual and gender diversity, It is worth noting that a landmark study published in the journal Sex Education found that 4 out of 5 parents (with children attending government schools) support it. 

Last year, the ABC was accused of grooming children after the appearance of drag queen Courtney Act reading a book about costumes on the iconic children’s television program, Play School. 

Following threats of violence, another drag-queen story time event was moved from its original venue, Eltham Public Library in Victoria, and rescheduled online. Bearing in mind that nobody was forced to view or attend either event, both attracted more than a fair share of outrage.   

One of the curious things about this vexed issue of gender identity is that there is (and always has been) a general acceptance of cross-dressing on television and on film. The long-running television series, Mrs Brown’s Boys, and popular films such as Mrs Doubtfire, Tootsie, The Nutty Professor and Big Mumma’s House feature male actors presenting as women. Not so long ago, men dressed as women also featured regularly on that blokiest of blokey television programs, The Footy Show and the audience approved.   

Meanwhile, the problem, if there is one, associated with children learning about diversity and gender identity at school or seeing a drag queen read a story, pales into insignificance when compared to the real problems with boys, who are hooked on porn and who watch it daily for long periods of time. Their confusion is not about their gender.  They already know what gender they are. Their confusion is about what their male gender means and how to express it in a loving relationship.

Concern about the supposed loss of parental rights in deciding what happens in the classroom is emblematic of our wider loss of trust in institutions, including teachers and schools. Logic and experience tell me that teachers are also parents and grandparents with the same conventional views and aspirations for their children and grandchildren as everyone else. I ask myself, why would they try (or even want to) interfere with any child’s gender identity? 

My lived experience of working in the classroom with thousands of children has persuaded me that who we are and how we live our lives is, indeed, largely determined by the time we are seven years old. There will always be an exception, but I have seen, over and over again, the way that a child’s home environment, secure attachments and parental influence equips them for success or failure in education – and life. 

Last, while you may not agree with me that the future man resides within the seven-year-old boy, remember that our parents are always our first and most influential teachers.  Whoever you have made your child to be is not easily undone.

Disclaimer: The following text is an opinion piece and should not be taken as factual information or professional advice. The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not reflect the views of the platform hosting the article. The purpose of this piece is to stimulate discussion and encourage critical thinking. Readers are encouraged to conduct their own research before making any decisions based on the content of this article.

Sindh govt announces Rs700b development outlay

Sindh government on Saturday announced Rs700 billion development outlay for next financial year, 2023-24. There is around 40 per cent increase in current development expenditure.

Overall development budget for next financial year includes provincial Annual Development Programme (ADP) Rs380 billion, District ADP Rs30 billion and Foreign Project Assistance Rs266 billion.

During FY 2022-23, the total development outlay was Rs459.5 billion that included Rs332 billion for the provincial ADP, Rs30 billion for District ADP, Rs91.5 billion from FPA and a grant of Rs6 billion from the federal PSDP for the schemes being executed by the Sindh government.

Among the departments, major share of the provincial ADP, Rs62,556 million, has been allocated for local government department due to revival of local bodies in the province. Of the total amount Rs46,966 million will be for on-going development schemes and Rs15,589 million for new schemes.

An amount of Rs12,524 million has also been allocated for mega projects in Karachi. Some Rs1,700 million will be spent on Karachi Neighbourhood Improvement Project. Similarly Rs2,700 million has been allocated for establishment of forensic laboratory in Karachi.

Overall Rs291.727 billion has been allocated for 3,311 on-going schemes and Rs88.273 billion for 1,937 new schemes. According to the Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah the government has allocated 80 per cent of development funds for the on-going schemes.

According to him focus of the development budget for FY 2023-24 is to capitalise on the current portfolio in the aftermath of the flood situation and initiate new projects, particularly in those sectors which cater to the rehabilitation of infrastructure that was damaged during the heavy rains and floods in 2022.

The size of foreign project assistance has increased from Rs91.47 billion in 2022-23 to Rs266.691 billion in ADP 2023-24. The chief minister attributed the increment to initiation of projects for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the flood-damaged infrastructure in order to address livelihood, reconstruction of housing, education, health, irrigation, road network, and water and sanitation.

According to the department wise ADP allocations in next financial year the health and education sectors have been allocated major amount of the development budget.

An amount of Rs45,333 million has been allocated for education sector and Rs44,361 million for health sector. Both the sectors have also been accommodated in Foreign Assistance Projects. An amount of Rs24,622 million has been allocated for health and Rs10,643 million for school education in foreign funded programmes.

Allocation for other sectors in Provincial ADP include Rs11,910 million for Agriculture , Rs2867 million for culture, tourism, Rs10,628 million for energy, Rs4174 million for finance, Rs11,517 million for home and law including law and order, Rs10,000 for lining of canals.

Flagship projects

The provincial government as part of its flagship projects plans to construct 50 English medium schools.

Under the Rs11,777.401 million project 50 state-of-the-art resilient schools are being constructed on prefabricated mild steel structures, the finance department's document said.

Being in public sector, the schools will provide free education, syllabus and uniforms.

The project is implemented under three separate schemes including establishment of 25 English medium schools; one in each district, 15 comprehensive high schools, and 10 comprehensive higher secondary schools one in each district.

The expenditures on the project have been recorded at Rs7,931.005 million and the allocation for the next financial year, 2023-24 is Rs1.51 billion. The project would be completed by June 2025.

Paediatric Cardiac Unit

The main objective of the Rs2.757 billion project is to reduce morbidity and mortality in infants and children suffering from cardiac diseases and provide highly specialized pediatric surgical and pediatric cardiology wards. It strengthens the existing infrastructure for better referral services and supports systems for the improvement of health conditions, especially child health, and develops new sub-specialties like pediatric electrophysiology.

The project envisages a seven-story building scientifically designed to accommodate 258 indoor beds, six operation theaters with 24 bedded surgical ICU, catheterization, surgical, echocardiography departments, electrophysiology lab etc.

12 YO with Cerebral Palsy turns to spiritualism to cope with life of special needs

Mumbai: Amaira Jagtiani was born with Cerebral Palsy. At age 12 and 7 major surgeries later Amaira, is taking a keen interest in Hindu mythologies and other spiritual interpretations. "Following the path of spiritualism gives her the sense of strength to face her life of hardships." Said her father Sharan.

Sharan Jagtiani also added, “This outlook of Amaira is organic and that they as a family support things she shows interest in. However, she truly enjoys reading and listening about these.”

In 2018, post a major hip surgery, Amaira was in a full-body cast and bedridden for 8 weeks. During this time, her grandmother and paternal aunt started to read her storybooks and epics to keep her engaged. Among many others, Ramayana went on to be her favourite read and thus began her wonderment towards Hindu mythology and epics. Amaira began demanding to read and know more.

Amaira, with cerebral palsy has been attending regular school as and when her health permitted. She enjoys going to school and is mobile both with crutches and on a wheelchair. 

Her school typically follows a ‘modified curriculum’ that caters to her special needs and other children like her. 

Amaira’s syllabus of modified curriculum is an educational strategy that allows special needs students to have better access to information and resources. It treads on the special child’s areas of strength, it is less technical, and is based on units of inquiry. All instructions are given one on one by a shadow teacher.

Sharan was happy to mention, “Amaira is at par with the rest of the children in class for most subjects if not all.”

Her keen interest in Indian mythologies led her to present talks as school projects on Sangam of Bhagirathi and Alaknanda- Devprayag while most children spoke on science and technology. Sharan said “This is atypical of a child her age but certainly is organic. Her inclination towards spiritualism gives her a strange sense of strength to endure the hardships she has to face. We however as a family are moderately spiritual.”

Her aunt, Anushka Jagtiani went for a Yoga retreat to Rishikesh in Uttarakhand in 2022, run by an American-born Sadhvi and spiritual leader. Amaira’s inquisitiveness led her to want to celebrate her next birthday in Rishikesh and meet this Sadhvi. 

On her visit, Amaira asked the spiritual leader “Why does God test man?” To which, Sadhvi replied “When you take exams in school, you learn something. Similarly, God tests man for him to learn.” 

"Amaira came back convinced and with a new perspective to endure her special life" added Sharan.