My Daughters quest for learning shot down

I'm not one to vent online, I don't really see the point most of the time. But I just found out something that really sent me off the deep end. My oldest daughter is 16 and a junior in high school. She had signed up for auto shop this year, not because she wanted to follow me into the car business but because she wanted to be able to wrench on her own vehicle. It was her idea, not mine and I'm incredibly proud of her for thinking ahead. It was something that we had talked about last summer and as far as I knew everything was hunky dory. I stress self-reliance to my kids and expect them to learn how to deal with problems on their own. Now to put all this in perspective it's important to know that my daughter is very quiet and shy, but very independent and doesn't mind getting her hands dirty. But that being said, if something in her life goes sideways it's usually quite a while before she bothers to tell anyone.
So, with that said I just found out a few days ago that the school wouldn't allow her to take auto shop because "it's not for girls". Instead, they pushed her into a childcare class vocational class that she hates. It would have been great if she had said something sooner! So, we complained to the school enough that they "might be able to fit her in next year". In the meantime, I reminded her that we own a fully equipped shop and she's welcome in there any time she wants.

Has anyone else been through this kind of thing?

This page is a permanent link to the reply below and its nested replies. See all post replies »

Sharon · F

The school's attitude is beyond reprehensible. Are there sex discrimination laws in your country? That school deserves to be sued out of existence and those who put that policy in place and enforced it, nailed up.

NerdyPotato ·

@Sharon technically there are discrimination laws, but they aren't worth anything anymore. (His profile says he's from the USA.)

Sharon · F

@NerdyPotato What do you mean by "they aren't worth anything"? Is it simply that the compensation is too low?

NerdyPotato ·

@Sharon no, it's because it's totally arbitrary what laws are and aren't enforced nowadays, and discrimination laws in particular are violated by law enforcement itself.

Sharon · F

@NerdyPotato In the UK, sex discrimination is a civil matter so it's for the victims to sue for damages.

Mamapolo2016 · F

@Sharon I think he means they are not enforced.

Sharon · F

@Mamapolo2016 Civil matters have to be enforced by the victims, by suing the tortfeasors ("offenders").

NerdyPotato ·

@Sharon but if the judicial system turns a blind eye, the victims won't win anything. And that's what they have been doing for a while now.

Sharon · F

@NerdyPotato Sorry to hear that. In the UK, with a few exceptions, the courts tend to apply the law correctly.

NerdyPotato ·

@Sharon in the Netherlands too, so far.

sgoodroe · 51-55, M

@Sharon I don't believe it's school policy, more likely a guidance counselor that is long past retirement age. Either way I'm not that worried about it, just annoyed. I can give my daughter a better rea world education then she'll ever get from school

Adrift · 61-69, F

@sgoodroe You need to go over the guidance counselors head and talk to the principal.
Not worrying about it just teaches her to accept those types of limitations put on her.
If it were me, that counselor would get a taste of the slap from a mama bear.