The latest headlining breaking news around the world is how children in UK schools from a relatively young age are identifying as furry animals and insist on being referred to using neo pronouns.
Neo pronouns refer to objects and animals. Schools have been thrust into the media spotlight for allowing children to dress as cats, dogs, horses and even identify as dinosaurs.
It is claimed such children are allowed to ask and answer questions with animal-related response such as meowing! One might think this is extreme or that the press has exaggerated.
This is not entirely the case, as several pupils when questioning their peer’s behaviour have been accused of not being inclusive or accepting and told that their behaviour would not be tolerated.
The UK government and those around the world have educationalists forming policies and guidelines to be introduced into schools about furries. UK schools have been holding teacher development sessions on working with pupils who identify as furries.
What exactly is a furry? The dictionary describes a furry as: an enthusiast for animal characters with human characteristics, in particular a person who dresses up in costume.
The UK government-approved Safer Schools initiative described furries as those who take on a ‘fursona’ to express themselves. There is, worldwide, a huge furry community, whereby furries, people who have an active interest in anthropomorphism, interact.
The world of furries has infiltrated schools and is a hot topic of educational debate and outrage between the governments, educationalists, heads of schools, teachers, and parents. Children from the age of 10 upwards have been attending school and stating that they identify as a furry in whatever form this takes for them.
Teachers have been faced with cats, dogs, amongst many other animals. Imitation cat ears have sold out in some parts of the UK!
Of course, dressing up and role play are all normal ways for children and adults of all ages to express themselves. Who doesn’t enjoy a fancy dress party? In Portugal, we love celebrating Carnival with colourful and exuberant costume parades and parties. However, the question, or, the elephant in the room is: how to react and deal with this situation when it is placed into the forum of everyday school life?
Why has it even been necessary for the UK government to give guidance on how to support and guide pupils acting as furies in schools? Has this all been blown out of proportion by the media as can often be the case for a so-called newsworthy item? No doubt a complex situation. Yes, there are certainly children attending schools dressed as their fursona expecting to be treated appropriately.
Is school not about education and common sense anymore? Is it becoming almost impossible to focus on education? This is undoubtedly what many teaching the children of the future feel, and we, as educationalists, are often placed in very difficult situations.
A child who identifies as a furry obviously should be acknowledged and shown inclusivity and respect as all students should. However, I strongly believe, as new research shows, that one must take a common sense and objective approach to such situations within the educational establishments that we work in.
It is wonderful and to be encouraged to discover how we identify and wish to look or dress as this should be openly talked about, explored, and experimented with, and yet making the focus all about how this takes place in school and its perimeters is both extremely unfair and limiting.
Schools should and must be concerned about the whole child and their education for lifelong learning, whilst using common sense. Everyone must feel included and seen whilst in education, working hand in hand with parents and guardians to safeguard and educate to the best of our ability the adults of tomorrow.
We may all be different fish; at this school we swim together.
By Penelope Best,
International Education Consultant
