Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Duo have the card to gender success
Dunrobin top in competition to get rid of myths
A pair of progressive pupils from Dunrobin Primary have come out on top in a national competition aimed at busting gender myths.
Forward-thinking youngsters Craig Friend and Katie Wright triumphed over 170 other entries to win the P4-7 category in the Improving Gender Balance Scotland event.
The Dunrobin duo impressed judges with their hypothetical letter to a major card company asking them to produce less stereotypically-based cards for boys and girls.
Creative Craig and Katie conducted an online survey at school which found 60 per cent of girls preferred blue over pink and more than half of the same demographic would choose a Marvel character over a Barbie doll.
The survey also discovered nearly 60 per cent of boys in the school enjoyed dancing.
Craig and Katie, both of P7, used the figures they obtained to urge the company to rethink its designs and make it easier to personalise cards in store, saying it would also increase their profits.
Katie, who along with Craig will start at Caldervale High after the summer holidays, said: “We started this competition on my birthday as I was fed up of getting girly cards because I don’t like flowery, pink cards and stuff like that.
“We were so happy that we won.”
Craig added: “We were excited, we didn’t think we would win it.”
Emma Clark, P7 teacher at Dunrobin said: “The pupils absolutely loved doing this; the whole class loved doing it.
“It ’ s raised awareness throughout the school on gender equality as well.
“As their class teacher I’m just so proud of them and everything they’ve achieved for themselves and for the school as a whole.”
Charlotte Govan, project officer for Improving Gender Balance Scotland, helped judge the competition and said: “It’s clear from the huge number of entries we had that gender stereotyping is an issue that primary school pupils are really aware of and are taking action to tackle.
“All of us judging were impressed by the standard and variety of the entries, and we want to thank all the schools who took part.
“We hope all the schools involved will continue to explore this issue by using our online resources to address issues of stereotyping that can affect young people throughout school and beyond.”