A Swedish preschool has dumped gendered pronouns and is addressing the 33 children enrolled as "friends" instead of girls and boys. AP reports the taxpayer-funded Egalia preschool in Stockholm has planned every detail, from the colour and placement of toys to the choice of books, to make sure the children don't fall into gender stereotypes. ''Society expects girls to be girlie, nice and pretty and boys to be manly, rough and outgoing,'' Jenny Johnsson, a teacher has told AP. ''Egalia gives them a fantastic opportunity to be whoever they want.'' Breaking down gender roles is a core mission in the Swedish national curriculum for preschools, underpinned by the theory that society gives boys an unfair edge.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 30th June 2011 - 2:38pm