Snowflake teachers poisoning our children's minds

Siamsa Sessions · 10-12-2019 11:15pm #1

Hi all,

No doubt we've all heard stories about vegan teachers advising children not to eat meat, encouraging meat-free Mondays, etc.

...but are these stories just urban legends?

Has anyone specific examples of it happening in Ireland? If so, please share the details here or send me a DM.

If this is happening, then it might be no harm to ask the Dept of Education what the official policy is on teachers sharing their food/diet opinions with pupils - whatever those opinions might be. But if it's not happening, then we need to move on and not spend time talking about phantom propaganda.

Thanks.

Tell me how · 10-12-2019 11:18pm

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

Hi all,

No doubt we've all heard stories about vegan teachers advising children not to eat meat, encouraging meat-free Mondays, etc.

...but are these stories just urban legends?

Has anyone specific examples of it happening in Ireland? If so, please share the details here or send me a DM.

If this is happening, then it might be no harm to ask the Dept of Education what the official policy is on teachers sharing their food/diet opinions with pupils - whatever those opinions might be. But if it's not happening, then we need to move on and not spend time talking about phantom propaganda.

Thanks.

Says the person who thought setting up a thread on an anonymous discussion board was an appropriate way to gather information......

With words like 'snowflake' and 'poisoning' in your post, I think you may be ever so biased.

Treppen · 10-12-2019 11:19pm

Ya it's probably only happening as much as the teacher who re-enacted the crucifixion with the kids' teddy bears.

Anyhow, I thought meat free Friday was a thing fir donkeys years

alps · 10-12-2019 11:32pm

Treppen wrote: »

Ya it's probably only happening as much as the teacher who re-enacted the crucifixion with the kids' teddy bears.

Anyhow, I thought meat free Friday was a thing fir donkeys years

Or Fish on Friday as it was called in our house..

Base price · 11-12-2019 12:30am

alps wrote: »

Or Fish on Friday as it was called in our house..

I always hated Friday dinner in our house cause Mam used to make me eat the fish. As I got older she relented and I got a poached egg.
I enjoy fishing but seldom take any for the table (catch and release) unless OH or the boys want some.

kerryjack · 11-12-2019 1:02am

Not too bad here yet a good few hefty farmers daughters teaching here that like a bit of meat themselves so I am told. Not too many snowflakes down these parts yet thank God.

Steve · 11-12-2019 1:29am

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

Hi all,

No doubt we've all heard stories about vegan teachers advising children not to eat meat, encouraging meat-free Mondays, etc.

...but are these stories just urban legends?

Has anyone specific examples of it happening in Ireland? If so, please share the details here or send me a DM.

If this is happening, then it might be no harm to ask the Dept of Education what the official policy is on teachers sharing their food/diet opinions with pupils - whatever those opinions might be. But if it's not happening, then we need to move on and not spend time talking about phantom propaganda.

Thanks.

Are you a journalist by any chance?

einn32 · 11-12-2019 8:11am

I remember being in a Catholic secondary school yet being taught about evolution. Always found it strange being in one class talking about being related to apes and an hour later being told about God making the world.

Siamsa Sessions · 11-12-2019 10:09am

Tell me how wrote: »

Says the person who thought setting up a thread on an anonymous discussion board was an appropriate way to gather information......

With words like 'snowflake' and 'poisoning' in your post, I think you may be ever so biased.

It's obviously lost on you so here's a link that will help: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/irony

Siamsa Sessions · 11-12-2019 10:20am

Steve wrote: »

Are you a journalist by any chance?

No.

I'm a part-time farmer and a father to three children in primary school.

Read the original post again to see why I'm asking. I don't care if my children become vegans, but no more than I'd want a teacher bringing in religious, political, or sporting propaganda, I wouldn't like to see any particular diet being pushed.

On the other hand, if there's no evidence of this happening beyond urban myths and a-man-in-the-pub-told-me, then farmers should shut about it. There's more pressing issues to be addressed. A thread here that turns up no evidence might help stop such scare-mongering.

Either way, I'm reverting to my off-farm job and trying to gather solid facts before "publishing".

Am happy to continue this discussion via DMs if you prefer. But you're barking up the wrong tree if you think I'm some sort of vegan-bashing climate change denier.

I'll also share the findings here - if there's no evidence I'll state it on here as well as on social media

kerryjack · 11-12-2019 10:34am

When I was in primary school well over 40 years our head master was a mad republican and totally anti British. He definitely had his own agenda. I grew up with that hate as well, not good for a young lad to be brain washed like that.

nthclare · 11-12-2019 10:55am

einn32 wrote: »

I remember being in a Catholic secondary school yet being taught about evolution. Always found it strange being in one class talking about being related to apes and an hour later being told about God making the world.

I remember doing myths and legends in school and we were learning about Greek mythology, and Zeus was the king of the God's that really confused us all.

Same here, our science teacher laughed at the possibility of God being responsible for creation.
That was around 1992 in secondary school.

Youll read a lot of threads here about how religiously motivated primary and secondary school s were in the past and still are.

But that's a load of bitter people resentful and undermining the educational system because of their hatred of the church.
I've no time for the church but it doesn't dictate my moods or do i get emotionally triggered by the mere mention of the church.

We had a religion teacher in Clare who was a priest and was more interested in going out for a Puck around the field than telling us fables and lies.

The only teacher who cursed in front of the students too now and again, and it wasn't at the student's more in gest.

Another time at our confirmation myself Martin, Johnnie, Kiran, Suzanne, Gretta, Loretta, and Threassa decided to sing "Walk in the light" Squawk in the light of God in the light of God

Legendary

whisky_galore · 11-12-2019 10:59am

alps wrote: »

Or Fish on Friday as it was called in our house..

As if fish isn't meat at all.

alps · 11-12-2019 11:06am

kerryjack wrote: »

Not too bad here yet a good few hefty farmers daughters teaching here that like a bit of meat themselves so I am told. Not too many snowflakes down these parts yet thank God.

Are you referring to daughters of heafty farmers, or heafty daughters?....Careful, I'm giving you a chance to clear your good name....😉😉

alps · 11-12-2019 11:11am

whisky_galore wrote: »

As if fish isn't meat at all.

I can still smell the smoked haddock..you wouldn't come across much of it now..

patsy_mccabe · 11-12-2019 11:12am

nthclare wrote: »

........
Another time at our confirmation myself Martin, Johnnie, Kiran, Suzanne, Gretta, Loretta, and Threassa decided to sing "Walk in the light" Squawk in the light of God in the light of God

Legendary

In secondry school, we had a quick choir put together for a church mass at Christmas. I can remember a few lads instead of "Tis a season to be jolly" roaring out "Stuff the Gaffer's hole with Holy". :rolleyes:
And the gaffer (headmaster) standing not that far away.

Timfy · 11-12-2019 11:22am

I can only speak for National Schools (primary) but we have to have a healthy eating policy which pretty much follows the standard "food triangle. There are certainly no hidden agendas!

Food_pyramid_transp_landscape_640.gif?ext=.gif

Food_pyramid_transp_landscape_640.gif?ext=.gif

Balf · 11-12-2019 11:32am

Treppen wrote: »

Anyhow, I thought meat free Friday was a thing fir donkeys years

The Church always had it in for the poor beef farmer.

All that "You will be fishers of men" business. Why not herders of cattle?

boardlady · 11-12-2019 11:47am

Well whatever about diets, my lads primary teacher is a rampant republican. He spends much time playing and teaching them rebel songs. Personally, I suspect he's building an army ...

nthclare · 11-12-2019 11:50am

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

In secondry school, we had a quick choir put together for a church mass at Christmas. I can remember a few lads instead of "Tis a season to be jolly" roaring out "Stuff the Gaffer's hole with Holy". :rolleyes:
And the gaffer (headmaster) standing not that far away.

Brilliant absolutely outside the box, back when kids were creative and and had no fear of the system.

We had a lot of freedom back then,

Back when we were able to forge signatures and sick notes.
Laugh in class, copy the homework off the board
We turned out ok too, we were more wild back then.

Never studied much, mitched now and again.

Still got 400 plus points in my leaving cert.

Doctors room ghost · 11-12-2019 11:51am

boardlady wrote: »

Well whatever about diets, my lads primary teacher is a rampant republican. He spends much time playing and teaching them rebel songs. Personally, I suspect he's building an army ...

Lol.brilliant.
If they start doing drills in the yard and wearing ballys to school you can be certain

nthclare · 11-12-2019 11:58am

Doctors room ghost wrote: »

Lol.brilliant.
If they start doing drills in the yard and wearing ballys to school you can be certain

Back before the influx of social just and snowflakeism...
Oh no i misread it, its happening in the present...

Don't mention the school, the lefties will be marching with the pitch forks...

BarryD2 · 11-12-2019 12:56pm

Parents are the primary educators of their children. Parents & peers are the main influence, not teachers.

Go find someone else to blame..

marieholmfan · 11-12-2019 1:09pm

kerryjack wrote: »

When I was in primary school well over 40 years our head master was a mad republican and totally anti British. He definitely had his own agenda. I grew up with that hate as well, not good for a young lad to be brain washed like that.

Not brainwashing Jack the British continue to occupy our Fourth Green Field!

The likes of Siamsa don't like patriotism because most of them are foreigners and britlickers.

kerryjack · 11-12-2019 1:11pm

BarryD2 wrote: »

Parents are the primary educators of their children. Parents & peers are the main influence, not teachers.

Go find someone else to blame..

Should be Barry but unfortunately not always is the case.

BarryD2 · 11-12-2019 1:12pm

marieholmfan wrote: »

Not brainwashing Jack the British continue to occupy our Fourth Green Field!

The likes of Siamsa don't like patriotism because most of them are foreigners and britlickers.

Shouldn't that be the Fifth Green Field? Assuming you know your Irish history?

Siamsa Sessions · 11-12-2019 1:15pm

marieholmfan wrote: »

The likes of Siamsa don't like patriotism because most of them are foreigners and britlickers.

I'm leaving this thread now as it seems to have given an opening for others with an axe to grind on their own interests.

If anyone has examples or evidence of schools pushing any food-related agenda, please send me a DM and we'll go from there.

I'll post the findings--whatever they may be--in the coming days.

joeguevara · 11-12-2019 1:22pm

BarryD2 wrote: »

Shouldn't that be the Fifth Green Field? Assuming you know your Irish history?

What is the 5th Green Field? According to the song, the 4th Green Field is Ulster. Is the 5th Rockall?

joeguevara · 11-12-2019 1:25pm

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

No.

Read the original post again to see why I'm asking. I don't care if my children become vegans, but no more than I'd want a teacher bringing in religious, political, or sporting propaganda, I wouldn't like to see any particular diet being pushed.

What do you mean by sporting proaganda? Do you not want a teacher talking about their favourite sport and/or team and do you equate it to pushing politics or religion down kids necks?

reg114 · 11-12-2019 1:25pm

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

Hi all,

No doubt we've all heard stories about vegan teachers advising children not to eat meat, encouraging meat-free Mondays, etc.

...but are these stories just urban legends?

Has anyone specific examples of it happening in Ireland? If so, please share the details here or send me a DM.

If this is happening, then it might be no harm to ask the Dept of Education what the official policy is on teachers sharing their food/diet opinions with pupils - whatever those opinions might be. But if it's not happening, then we need to move on and not spend time talking about phantom propaganda.

Thanks.

Farming in Ireland must diversify or die, its really that simple. Half of irish beef farmers income comes through subsidies meanwhile the average beef farmer is 44k in debt, this is a ludicrous situation to try to maintain folks. As long as Ireland remains part of the EU and is constrained by various global free trade agreements beef farming is going to be up against it in this country.

Throw in the fact that the large supermarkets are indulging in below cost selling , the mounting precariousness of the Brexit situation and the fact that methane producing livestock are contributing to global warming (whether you like to admit it or not ) and you really have the makings of a perfect storm if you are a beef farmer.

Criticising school teachers for not being steak lovers is ridiculous. Purely from a business standpoint, given all the obvious pressures beef farmers are enduring and the lack of support they are getting from politicians, it really would make sense to look at options other than rearing cattle instead of attacking 'snowflakes'. If i set up any other business in the morning I wouldnt be receiving subsidies , so why should irish farmers ? there are more kinds of farming than beef farming , time to explore those options folks because the days of the beef farmer here are numbered.

Effects · 11-12-2019 1:37pm

Timfy wrote: »

I can only speak for National Schools (primary) but we have to have a healthy eating policy which pretty much follows the standard "food triangle. There are certainly no hidden agendas!

A lot of kids are screwed based on that triangle so. I'm often in my local Tesco, and secondary school kids are consistently buying large fizzy drinks and big bags of chocolates and sweets.

Back in my day you might have enough money for a Smiley bar, but not the amount of crap that kids are eating these days.

marieholmfan · 11-12-2019 1:53pm

joeguevara wrote: »

What is the 5th Green Field? According to the song, the 4th Green Field is Ulster. Is the 5th Rockall?

Uladh and the 4th is Meath -- Not sure it maps that well because there would have been no Munster or Connaught and arguably a province of Breffni (partly occupied by the Sasanach to this day).

joeguevara · 11-12-2019 2:02pm

marieholmfan wrote: »

Uladh and the 4th is Meath -- Not sure it maps that well because there would have been no Munster or Connaught and arguably a province of Breffni (partly occupied by the Sasanach to this day).

Ah, I get you. I would say that the poster was referencing the Tommy Makem song 'Four Green Fields which contained the line 'one of them is in bondage' as opposed to the maps. I did learn from your post though.

lyno9235 · 11-12-2019 2:06pm

As a secondary school teacher I am appalled by the language used to describe teachers by this poster. I am a secondary school teacher and I am required to teach Transition Year students a module about nutrition. In order to educate my student's on this topic I have done extensive research to try to teach them the best information related to this topic. I am a professionally trained teacher and undertake my duties in a professional manner, not a personal one. The fact that modern research says that people are eating too much meat in their diets is not my personal diet plan that I wish to impose on my students. I am an educator, not a snowflake. I am not poisoning students minds, I am enlightening them. Not everyone is going to agree with everything taught in schools. That is why we encourage student's to be open minded. Perhaps parents could adopt a similar approach.

joeguevara · 11-12-2019 2:13pm

lyno9235 wrote: »

As a secondary school teacher I am appalled by the language used to describe teachers by this poster. I am a secondary school teacher and I am required to teach Transition Year students a module about nutrition. In order to educate my student's on this topic I have done extensive research to try to teach them the best information related to this topic. I am a professionally trained teacher and undertake my duties in a professional manner, not a personal one. The fact that modern research says that people are eating too much meat in their diets is not my personal diet plan that I wish to impose on my students. I am an educator, not a snowflake. I am not poisoning students minds, I am enlightening them. Not everyone is going to agree with everything taught in schools. That is why we encourage student's to be open minded. Perhaps parents could adopt a similar approach.

There is a big difference to educating students on, for example, too much meat in diets, than advocating veganism as the only way. Similarly, there is a big difference to discussing the pros and cons of political ideology as opposed to saying 'Socialism is the only way'. Can you not see that? The OP was looking to see if there is evidence of the former of which you don't fall into.

Moomoomacshoe · 11-12-2019 2:14pm

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

I'm leaving this thread now as it seems to have given an opening for others with an axe to grind on their own interests.

If anyone has examples or evidence of schools pushing any food-related agenda, please send me a DM and we'll go from there.

I'll post the findings--whatever they may be--in the coming days.

What are you talking about lol. There's no agenda. Primary schools teach the curriculum. Science teaches food chains , predators etc. The food pyramid is taught. Food related agenda?? Maybe conspiracy forums?

marieholmfan · 11-12-2019 2:17pm

joeguevara wrote: »

Ah, I get you. I would say that the poster was referencing the Tommy Makem song 'Four Green Fields which contained the line 'one of them is in bondage' as opposed to the maps. I did learn from your post though.

I was referring to the song initially.

Dickie10 · 11-12-2019 3:13pm

Secondary teacher in an all girls school, I don't see too much evidence of snow flake teachers tbh. Vast majority of teachers all sem to come from similar backgrounds particularly in rural areas, many sons and daughters of farmers. I think secondary students actually are well able to make up their minds on these issues and I have seen a conservative kick back against the whole vegan/environmental issues. Remember if issues become mainstream and advocated by too many older people, teenagers usually go the opposite way. For every action theres a reaction. I believe we could actually be going towards a conservative era again

Dickie10 · 11-12-2019 3:15pm

Forgot to say the school is in a rural market town and many children from farms so my experience may be skewed. We always have a good uptake in Ag Science too

Siamsa Sessions · 11-12-2019 4:13pm

lyno9235 wrote: »

As a secondary school teacher I am appalled by the language used to describe teachers by this poster. I am a secondary school teacher and I am required to teach Transition Year students a module about nutrition. In order to educate my student's on this topic I have done extensive research to try to teach them the best information related to this topic. I am a professionally trained teacher and undertake my duties in a professional manner, not a personal one. The fact that modern research says that people are eating too much meat in their diets is not my personal diet plan that I wish to impose on my students. I am an educator, not a snowflake. I am not poisoning students minds, I am enlightening them. Not everyone is going to agree with everything taught in schools. That is why we encourage student's to be open minded. Perhaps parents could adopt a similar approach.

re language: the title of the thread is satire. It's taking the michael out of people who make such claims.

re facts on modern research: If the research was clear, then I would expect the Dept of Education to issue dietary advice to that effect.

I'll state it again since some posters are obviously not reading what I wrote on here: I'm looking for evidence to either support or dispel urban myths and conspiracies.

ganmo · 11-12-2019 4:19pm

A university in england walking back a beef ban
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/12/09/student-fightback-sees-university-beef-ban-overturned/?WT.mc_id=tmgoff_hootsuite&utm_source=tmgoff_socialteam&utm_medium=facebook&utm_content=51b7b815-e3f9-48b8-af9a-f034b791da2d&utm_campaign=the+telegraph&fbclid=IwAR3x8kHU43WWjCAr7DL-hN4z1FpTJ0E8r9qwZZHVU3GgC96EnFP5V8-aJeo

however there's this bit in the article,

It had been the third University to ban beef. Cambridge University's catering service has removed beef and lamb from the menu whilst Goldsmiths in London has banned it from campus completely

so OP's concerns are actually happening...just not in Ireland yet

ganmo · 11-12-2019 9:24pm

May scratch out that yet
https://twitter.com/CalCommons/status/1204482646232969217?s=19
Dcu su lookin to ban beef

kk.man · 11-12-2019 9:34pm

Was driving on the motorway recently and I passed a lorry full of cattle. Daughter aged 8 years enquired if the cattle were being brought to the factory for slaughter. She asked me to stop the lorry to prevent the cattle being slaughtered. Strange times I thought to myself.

Dickie10 · 11-12-2019 10:28pm

i firmly believe there will be a kick back to all this

Dickie10 · 11-12-2019 10:30pm

ireland needs to finger the blame to unsustainable beef production. thats the elephant in the room. its not ireland or western europe were feeding but Asia and Africa. those African countries will be a gold mine in 20 years time for beef consumption and very easy for ireland to supply.

Siamsa Sessions · 11-12-2019 10:33pm

ganmo wrote: »

May scratch out that yet
https://twitter.com/CalCommons/status/1204482646232969217?s=19
Dcu su lookin to ban beef

Question is will those suppliers react to such lobbying?

And related: if the claim is that removing beef will reduce the DCU carbon footprint, how will this be measured? What if students just leave the campus at lunchtime and head to the nearest McDonalds - will that beef consumption not be counted in the campus's carbon footprint?

purplecow1977 · 11-12-2019 10:33pm

I'm a primary teacher and wouldn't push a vegan diet on to the kids I teach - but I'm not a vegan anyway!

I know schools in the UK were pushing for vegetarianism as I had come across some resources when I was browsing lessons online!

Gaspode · 11-12-2019 10:38pm

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

I'm leaving this thread now as it seems to have given an opening for others with an axe to grind on their own interests.

If anyone has examples or evidence of schools pushing any food-related agenda, please send me a DM and we'll go from there.

I'll post the findings--whatever they may be--in the coming days.

Look forward to seeing which rag you publish this 'research' in!

You might want to look up what the term Snowflake means while you're at it, you might recognise yourself in there.

Say my name · 11-12-2019 10:48pm

Dickie10 wrote: »

ireland needs to finger the blame to unsustainable beef production. thats the elephant in the room.

That's been done to death at this stage by farmers trying to state their case but it hasn't stuck. Animal production has got a bad environmental, bad welfare, bad ethics, bad image, stuck firmly on it by social and terrestrial media. And the age we're in now everyone believes the worst so it's stuck, hook, line and sinker.
As a poster posted here there'll be a time in 20 years when killing an animal will be verboten in Ireland.

John_Rambo · 11-12-2019 11:08pm

A bit off topic, but the best teacher I ever had was my Ag Science teacher.

In Drumcondra.

In Inner City Dublin.

For the leaving certificate.

He even took us all to a by-products factory where we saw things that will never leave our innocent minds! We tested soil, did worm counts, learned about ragwort, sheep, pig, and cattle breeds, silage, hay, tillage, visited countless farms, carried out extensive field tests throughout the seasons.

He was WAY ahead of his time, predicted issues with feeding beef by products of beef in the eighties, was passionate about his work, farmed himself during the summer holidays. A passionate, skilled and engaged teacher.

I ended up with an A in Ag science!!

Weirdly, it's stood to me in various areas of professional life. I'm in the creative field, marketing, visuals, photography and design which means working in tourism for a few months and then someone like Coillte the next month. I'm working on a new brand at the moment that's vegan (not food) and these threads are handy to get a viewpoint on attitudes towards various new marketed products.

I'd love to hear his views on what's going on in the agriculture industry today. I reckon he'd have a pretty good handle on how farmers should advance.

I myself was immersed in the print industry when it became a dirty word and had to diverse, retrain and up-skill massivly to make myself viable in the new various media platforms.

G-Man · 12-12-2019 10:32am

This sort of trawling for information can also have a chilling effect on discussion. The idea that certain topics are monitored and reported on. Is the OP or his suggested reports some sort of experts in education or the subjects discussed in class that can determine what is bad and good to talk about.. If the OP is concerned perhaps they would look and comment on the school curriculum available at https://www.curriculumonline.ie

The idea that parents would monitor. report and collate topics is like something out of a fundamentalist school system.

Is the OP only interested in topics that promote veganism or is he also against the topic of too much meat and dairy in our diet in general. Is he against discussions on fasting. Is he agains promoting more vegetables in schools. Is he against discussions of cultures that dont eat meat,.

I really doubt any school has a discussion on veganism, but as they discuss many other topics, I am sure part of the topic comes up and its likely children and teachers and parents can be confident they are in a school system that promotes open discussion and not one subject to the ears outside the school gate and then reporting back.

Snowflake teachers poisoning our children's minds

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