As published on Collective Shout
The Ashmore State School Model Search for children as young as two will be held at a Family Fun Fair next month. Prizes include modelling courses worth hundreds of dollars.
In the latest school newsletter, deputy principal Amanda Fry assured parents the contest was not a beauty pageant. “There is no category for beauty,” she wrote. “There are trophies for best dressed, best catwalk and most photogenic.”
Greg Dickman, Education Queensland’s South East regional director, said the department had no issue with the model search. “This is a fundraiser model competition, not a beauty competition,” he said.
Whether the school calls it a “model search”, a “beauty competition”, a “pageant” or any other name is irrelevant. Whether or not participants are allowed to wear makeup or evening gowns is irrelevant. What is relevant, is pitting children against each other in order to be judged on their appearance.
An overwhelming number of international experts in child health, including The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists’ Faculty of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry have expressed concerns about the detrimental impact of emphasising a child’s appearance and attractiveness to the exclusion of other characteristics, such as during model searches, beauty pageants and so on:
“Direct participation and competition for a beauty prize where infants and girls are objectified and judged against sexualised ideals can have significant mental health and developmental consequences that impact detrimentally on identity, self esteem, and body perception.”
It is not only the participants who are being put at risk by such an event. Those who witness it, and the girls who don’t enter, are also absorbing toxic messages about their appearance and self worth. The fact that the school and teachers that they trust are participating in sending these messages makes it all the more harmful.
This model search is an absolute abrogation of the responsibility of the school to the children in their care. You might like to contact Education Qld and the Minister for Education to ask them why Education Queensland is allowing this school to put the well-being of students at risk.
Email Education Qld: Enquiries.SchoolOperations@dete.qld.gov.au
Contact Hon John-Paul Langbroek MP
As well as being the Minister for Education, the school is in his electorate.
Tweet: https://twitter.com/jplangbroek
Email: Education@ministerial.qld.gov.au
Phone: 3237 1000
Hon John-Paul Langbroek MP
Member for Surfers Paradise
Child and family psychologist Collett Smart discusses the risks of holding the model search as a fundraiser at the Gold Coast school.
Collett Smart’s website – Family Smart Twitter: www.twitter.com/collettsmart
Also read: Contest for mini models on Gold Coast blasted, compared to Toddlers and Tiaras
One Response
Will l.ittle boys be participating in this competition? Will little boys wear make-up and evening gowns?
Will little boys be judged on ‘being photogenic; best dressed and the most sexually appealing to judges?
Of course not because little boys and all males are not ‘dehumanised sexualised commodities.’ That role is strictly for females of all ages because sole reason females exist is to constantly provide males with sexual titilation.
Little girls will not be rewarded for their innate intelligence; individuality; creativity because only males supposedly have these innate traits (sic) which is why this school is enacting universal Patriarchal propaganda.
Well done Ashmore State School for continuing your primary role of indoctrinating little girls into their dehumanised feminine role because little girls must be trained to be passive; weak little feminine sexualised objects since that is their sole reason for existing in a Male Supremacist System.
One wonders why girls are attending Ashmore School given they won’t be provided with any real education since all they are learning is ‘how to become males’ dehumanised, disposable sexual service stations!’