Wednesday, 30 May 2007

Turner dismayed at schools teaching bad dad book

United Future deputy leader Judy Turner, says that primary schools need to work far harder to send positive messages to boys in school about men and fathers, citing a book given to children showing a useless dad as a prime example of what should not be happening.

“Boys are lacking positive male role models, lacking male teachers, and lacking fathers. Why on earth are young boys being told to read books like ‘The Bad Dad List’ as homework?” asks Mrs Turner, a former primary school teacher.

The Bad Dad List is about a father who has just lost his job, and is now a stay-at-home dad. His daughter thinks he’s doing a bad job and makes a list of his continual mistakes. The list includes: Forgetting to give her any lunch (twice), watching TV instead of getting her breakfast - while flooding the laundry because he put the wrong powder in, and getting a speeding ticket.

‘Dad’ finally does something useful by helping another child who suffers a broken leg, regaining a small part of his daughter’s respect, which is articulated by his daughter saying:

‘By the end of the year, dad had turned into quite a good mum.’

“The fact that when dad finally stopped being useless, he is referred to as a mum, just reinforces the negative stereo-type of men to our kids,” says Mrs Turner.

“The ‘girls can do anything’ message has been marvellous for our girls, but we are constantly sending a ‘boys and men are silly or useless’ message to boys. We have a problem with a Government that undervalues fathers and men, but our primary schools should not be a part of this.

“Less than 20% of primary teachers are male, and about a quarter of all kids have no dad at home. Schools should be actively trying to encourage a positive picture of men to young males, not make them read ‘Bad Dad Lists’ for homework,” says Mrs Turner.

ENDS

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