Should nurseries ditch words 'boys' and 'girls' and use inclusive pronouns like 'they', 'them' or 'theirs'?

Jackie Irvine, chief executive of Care Inspectorate

Zoë Raven, chief executive of Acorn Early Years Foundation

YES

Scotland’s care regulator the Care Inspectorate has issued new guidance for nurseries (in partnership with the gender equality organisation Zero Tolerance Scotland) recommending nurseries ‘use more inclusive pronouns' by using ‘they’ or ‘them’ or ‘theirs’ instead of ‘she’ or ‘him’ or ‘her’.

In its guidance document 'Gender, Equal Play in Early Learning and Childcare', nursery workers are asked to try greeting the children with "hello everyone" or "children" instead of "hello boys and girls".

The guidance states: 'The words we use to communicate influence how we think and act. Think about whether what you say to the children reinforces gender stereotypes, and if so, use more neutral and inclusive language.' The Care Inspectorate has said the guidance aims to ‘to assist care services in supporting and promoting gender equal play in early learning and childcare settings’.

NO

Zoë Raven, is the founder and chief executive of Acorn Early Years Foundation, which runs 17 nurseries in Milton Keynes and Northamptonshire.

Zoë Raven who established her first nursery 30 years ago, believes in supporting children who are trying to grasp the English language.

Zoë Raven said: “It’s vitally important to avoid gender stereotypes but using plural pronouns like ‘they’ when you are talking about ‘he’ or ‘she’ has the potential to cause confusion amongst young children.

"It’s a bit like throwing the baby out with the bath water.”

To read news about the pronoun challenge click here