Don’t dismiss young people and woke culture, says influential women’s head

• Aparna Sreevalsan
• 4 January, 2022

By: Aparna Sreevalsan

SCHOOLS should host talks and discussions with parents related to diversity & inclusion, and gender to make them understand the ‘new language’ of the younger generation.

“Dismissing the younger generation as ‘woke’, ‘cancel culture’ or ‘snowflakes’, risks progress on equality and sustainability campaigns”, said Samantha Price, head of Benenden School, Kent.

Mrs. Price told the media that she thinks, if the younger students are consistently dismissed in this way, it may result in less progression of society-from sustainability through to equality. The children will give up their passion when they reach their 20s and into further maturity. Hence this is an opportunity to sustain and handle the new generation effectively.

Samantha Price, president of the Girls’ Schools Association (GSA), has spoken to more than 100 heads of private girls’ schools at her organisation’s annual conference.

The Girls’ Schools Association helps girls and their teachers to flourish. They represent the Heads of a diverse range of UK girls’ schools (day & boarding) among which are some of the top-performing schools in the UK.

The GSA Annual Conference 2021 was held at the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel, in Manchester City on 22nd Nov and 23rd Nov 2021.

Mrs. Price called on school leaders to challenge anyone who dismisses the younger generation as ‘woke’. According to her, some parents are ‘deeply unsettled’ on some topics such as gender identity.

“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”, said Mrs. Price.

Following the major movements like Black Lives Matter, Everyone’s Invited during the pandemic, students have been demanding action on the issues.

Mrs. Price said that the schools (under GSA) have run more diversity workshops with parents, developed pupil-led inclusion groups, and appointed inclusion leads in the last year in response to the campaigns by students.