Students, irrespective of gender, must feel comfortable in a protected and secure learning environment. Governments, schools, teachers, and students all have significant roles to play in ensuring that schools are free of hostility and prejudice, and provide a gender-sensitive, high-quality learning experience.
Schools are responsible for addressing gender-based unfairness by providing comprehensive health education. Teachers should follow professional guidelines and codes of conduct regarding appropriate practices and deliver balanced, equitable instruction. Students must conduct themselves in respectful and non-aggressive ways.
Gender-related issues at school are rarely physical but frequently psychological. They can occur on campus or while students travel to and from school, and may include mistreatment, verbal and emotional abuse, and intimidation. These issues often stem from gender stereotypes and insufficient demonstration of gender equality on campus.
While many teachers are caring professionals prioritizing their students' wellbeing, many others require deeper understanding of the impact of gender biases and their consequences.
Professional codes of conduct for all staff can effectively reduce gender inequality at school when they clearly specify violations and enforcement protocols. As a leading Day and Boarding IB Continuum school in Coimbatore, Manchester International School insists that its Teacher's Code of Conduct specifies that teachers must protect students' emotional, mental, and spiritual health and ensure equal participation without discrimination, including on the basis of gender.
Students are also trained by qualified teachers to be responsible for their behavior so it does not infringe on others' right to education. The International Baccalaureate Organization's mission statement powerfully reinforces this principle: 'These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.' As an IB Continuum School and the first in Coimbatore, Manchester very strongly endorses this philosophy not merely as a statement but as a core practice. The school models clear etiquette for students and provides consistent instruction, performance tracking, and development measures for all staff.
Despite encouraging progress in managing gender representation in classroom methods and materials, it is premature to celebrate success. Students remain exposed to gender stereotypes in educational content and learning materials. Most teachers care deeply about the students in their classrooms, yet many who examine their own attitudes and behaviors discover the subtle and pervasive nature of gender inequity in their teaching.
Creating a Gender-Neutral Learning Approach
- Use language that challenges binary notions of gender
- Help students understand the difference between patterns and rules
- Question limited depictions of gender in content and media
- Recognize that gender is about our hearts and minds
- Support the process of reflection and self-awareness
- Teach empathy and mutual respect
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