Adults shouldn't dismiss 'woke' students, top head teacher warns

22 November 2021, 00:22

Labelling students 'woke' could lead to them giving up on campaigns, it has been warned.
Labelling students 'woke' could lead to them giving up on campaigns, it has been warned. Picture: Alamy

By Emma Soteriou

Dismissing "woke" children will lead to them giving up on important equality and sustainability campaigns, a leading head has warned.

Listen to this article

Loading audio...

All schools should host talks with parents on inclusion, diversity and gender to help them understand the "new language" of the younger generation, according to Samantha Price, head of Benenden School in Kent.

Mrs Price, president of the Girls' Schools Association (GSA), will call on school leaders to challenge anyone who dismisses the younger generation as "woke", "cancel culture" or "snowflakes" at her organisation's annual conference.

She is set to criticise the references being used in a derogatory sense, while adults complain that they cannot say anything without being "called out" by young people.

"I think that if [children] are consistently dismissed in this way then what will happen is that they will just give up," she said.

"As they go into their 20s and into further maturity, what was such a passion for them when they were younger will end up just going by the wayside.

"Therefore, we probably won't see the level of progress in society - from sustainability through to equality - that I think we have the opportunity to be able to see and sustain now if we, our generation, handle this effectively."

Read more: John Cleese pulls out of Cambridge University talk over 'woke rules'

Read more: 'Go too woke, risk going broke' Oliver Dowden warns government-funded organisations

Caller is woke and proud as he explains to Tom

It comes as young people have become more vocal, in recent years, over matters that hold a particular importance to them. For example, Black Lives Matter and Everyone's Invited gained momentum during the pandemic.

At the recent COP26 climate summit, thousands of young people also took to the streets, demanding action on the crisis that will impact their generation.

In her speech to over 100 heads from across the country, Mrs Price will say: "It would be unforgivable for the older generation to close its mind to new ideas, to retreat to 'the good old days' and dismiss the energetic changes of this generation as something to be referred to in derogatory tones and sighs.

"What has really struck me is that this so-called 'woke' generation are actually simply young people who care about things: about causes, about the planet, about people.

"It ultimately comes down to something very simple: being kind."

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

More than 2 million drivers are set to hit the road on Good Friday.

Easter Carmageddon: Over two million drivers to hit the road on Good Friday after Brits hit by Storm Nelson travel chaos

Michael Gove has slammed the water firm as a 'disgrace'.

Thames Water bosses branded a ‘disgrace’ as Michael Gove tells firm ‘not to punish consumers’ for its failings

South Africa Bus Crash

Girl, 8, the sole survivor as 45 die in bus crash off South Africa bridge

A spokesman has denied reports the sausage dog could be banned.

The wurst news is over: Germany denies claims of sausage dog ban

Israel Palestinians Britain Aid

UN top court orders Israel to open more land crossings into Gaza

Greece Confidence Vote

Greece’s government survives no-confidence motion called over rail disaster

A council has had to apologise following the incident.

Fury as parents offered version of school class photo without complex needs pupils

Conjoined twin who shot to fame with sister on The Oprah Winfrey Show marries army veteran in private ceremony

Conjoined twin who shot to fame with sister on The Oprah Winfrey Show marries army veteran in private ceremony

Israel Palestinians UN Security Council

Russia ‘abolishes’ monitoring of sanctions on North Korea with UN veto

Firefighters at the scene of a bus crash in Limpopo

Bus plunges from bridge in South Africa and erupts into flames, killing at least 45 and leaving child, 8, as lone survivor

Music-Green Day UN

Green Day to headline UN-backed global climate concert

Exclusive
Starmer has vowed to resurrect Boris Johnson's 'Levelling Up' policy

Failure to ‘level up’ Britain would be ‘catastrophic’, Wes Streeting admits, as Starmer vows to resurrect Johnson policy

Border Force staff will walk out from April 11

Hundreds of Border Force officers at Heathrow Airport to stage four-day strike

Stephen Bear was ordered to pay Ms Harrison £5,000.

Disgraced reality TV star Stephen Bear ordered to pay £27,000 over revenge porn conviction or face nine months in jail

Sam Bankman-Fried

FTX founder Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison for crypto fraud

Exclusive
Covid no excuse for death of Finley Boden who was murdered by drug-addled parents, child protection chief says

Covid no excuse for death of Finley Boden who was murdered by drug-addled parents, child protection chief says