Parents left outraged by maths homework featuring sums about women going on spa breaks and calculating weight loss – while men buy bikes and do sit-ups
- William Sutcliffe, from Edinburgh, took to Twitter to share the sheet of questions
- The post was quickly flooded with comments by other concerned families
- Claimed textbook, believed to be published by TeeJay, ‘reinforced stereotypes’
Parents have been left outraged after homework questions described women going on spa breaks and calculating weight loss to illustrate maths problems.
William Sutcliffe, 49, from Edinburgh, took to Twitter to share the sheet of maths questions that he said had left his wife ‘unimpressed’.
Meanwhile, the questions referring to men referenced them buying bicycles and doing sit ups.
The post was quickly flooded with comments by other concerned families who accused the school textbook of ‘reinforcing sexist stereotypes’.
William Sutcliffe, from Edinburgh, took to Twitter to share the sheet of maths questions (pictured) that featured sums about women going on spa breaks and calculating weight loss
William, who is an author of books for children, said his family were left ‘very unimpressed’ by the school textbook
William, who is an author of books for children, uploaded an image of the sheet alongside a caption that read: ‘My daughter’s “curriculum for excellence” maths homework (used throughout Scotland) features sums about women going on spa breaks and calculating weight loss; men buying bikes and doing sit-ups.
‘Very unimpressed wife has changed the names on the worksheet.’
The textbook, believed to be published by TeeJay, included questions that read: ‘Ellie weighed 85 kilograms. She went to a health resort for a week and lost 20% of her weight.’
Another question began that: ‘Abbie had £220. She spent 25% on a weekend spa break.’
William’s wife had made several alterations in pencil as she crossed out names such as ‘Ellie’ and swapped them for ‘Elliot’.
The post, which has since received more than a thousand likes, was met with a flurry of responses from other unhappy parents.
William (pictured) said his wife had made several alterations in pencil as she crossed out names such as ‘Ellie’ and swapped them for ‘Elliot’
The post, which has since received more than a thousand likes, was met with a flurry of responses from other unhappy parents
One wrote: ‘Schools are some of the worst places for casually reinforcing sexist stereotypes.’
Another added: ‘Wow. Indoctrination about body weight begins young.’
And a third commented: ‘I’d also be concerned with the questions endorsing weight loss in the minds of impressionable young females.
‘The schools endorsement of these questions continue to push the unrealistic beauty standards on females at an age that eating disorders can develop.’
FEMAIL has contacted TeeJay for comment.