According to HBL, the physical education teacher fears that gender-neutral competitions will reduce girls’ motivation to exercise and play sports.
Hufvudstadsbladet (HBL) says that gender-neutral athletics competitions were organized in Helsinki at the beginning of September for students of Swedish-speaking elementary schools, the results of which have sparked discussion.
According to the newspaper, this time there were no boys’ and girls’ series in the games held at the Zoo in Helsinki, but everyone competed in the same series. The end result was that the girls won 4 of the 18 gold medals that were distributed and a total of 16 medals out of the 60 that were distributed.
According to HBL, the result went to a physical education teacher at Månsas lågstadieskola in Maunula, Helsinki By Niclas Krook “to boil the blood”.
– As a parent, I would think that it is presumptuous that my daughter would have a lower chance of winning a medal because she would be competing against boys. The school emphasizes gender equality, but organizes competitions that are against equality, Krook said, according to HBL.
According to HBL, the city of Helsinki wanted to give up the boys’ and girls’ series, so that the games would also take into account those children who do not feel comfortable in the girls’ or boys’ series.
Krook says he fully respects students who don’t identify as boys or girls. However, the teacher is afraid that the girls will lose motivation in sports if they are overshadowed by the boys.
According to HBL, the idea of gender-neutral competitions came from a study, according to which the physical differences between elementary school-age girls and boys are small and any differences stem from upbringing and the influence of the environment.