Raising Awareness
The NEU has a platform of hundreds of thousands of educators across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
With a member in almost every educational establishment, WAVES has a unique opportunity to provide knowledge, confidence and great training.
Educators are not experts in challenging misogyny in classrooms, or solving societal problems, but we can engage experts to help us become just that.
Training Experts
We collaborate with advocacy networks engaging boys and men, activists influencing public policy, and campaigners supporting individuals affected by harassment.
Our sister organisations complement our work by bringing valuable perspectives, expertise, and lived experience. Together, they help bridge gaps in our knowledge and strengthen the diversity and inclusivity at the heart of WAVES.
Supporting educators
We are not removing all responsibility of managing sexism from education. We know how vital school is for young people and how the impact of school can change lives.
The aims and objectives of WAVES are to support educators to help students and colleagues to interrogate the powerful stereotypes that perpetuate the low level sexism we see in classrooms and staffrooms every day.
With the knowledge and tools to unpick these automatic thoughts, conditioned by media, family, TV to feel normal, our students move into the world of work able to challenge it in their own colleagues and friends.
Challenging misogyny
We don’t ignore it, but we don’t punish it.
One of the things that many educators do really well is to separate the behaviour from the person. Educators have the skills to challenge the stereotype, the language, the comment and the behaviour without criticising the individual.
This is the critical part and why we, as educators, are in this unique position.
An assembly once a year isn’t going to cut it, a bit of PSHE or a lesson on consent that the boys snigger through.
We are introducing a sustained, empathetic approach which we want all staff to be trained in.
Every member of staff confident to challenge the attitude and support the individual.
We don’t ignore it, but we don’t punish it.
One of the things that many educators do really well is to separate the behaviour from the person. Educators have the skills to challenge the stereotype, the language, the comment and the behaviour without criticising the individual.
This is the critical part and why we, as educators, are in this unique position.
An assembly once a year isn’t going to cut it, a bit of PSHE or a lesson on consent that the boys snigger through.
We are introducing a sustained, empathetic approach which we want all staff to be trained in.
Every member of staff confident to challenge the attitude and support the individual.