A primary school in south-west London has included actor Elliot Page in its teaching materials as a positive example of masculinity, as part of a broader effort to challenge harmful gender stereotypes.
Streatham Wells Primary School featured Page — the Canadian actor who medically transitioned with cross-sex hormones and surgery and now identifies as a man — in a lesson about how masculinity can take many forms. In materials shared with pupils, the school described Page as someone who shows masculinity “can mean softness and strength.”
Page, known for roles in Juno, Inception and the X-Men franchise, publicly came out as gay in 2014 and as transgender in 2020. He uses the pronouns he/they.
The school also referenced pop star Harry Styles alongside Page to help demonstrate that men can be multi-dimensional.
Writing in an article for education site Teachwire, headteacher Sarah Wordlaw outlined how her school is working to challenge toxic masculinity and promote gender equality. “It is important to teach pupils about harmful stereotypes about masculinity. However, if the first time we teach and name masculinity is calling it toxic, that could do more damage than good to our boys,” she wrote.
“It is extremely important to teach about positive masculinities. We need to encourage empathy, kindness, showing emotions, listening to alternative points of view and developing emotional literacy,” she continued.
Ms Wordlaw said that while tackling deeply rooted gender stereotypes isn’t a “quick fix,” the school had already seen “a significant improvement in children’s awareness of key issues surrounding gender equality. They know how to use their voice to advocate for others.”
She added that the school would continue to build diverse representation into the curriculum, not just by celebrating women in history, but also by showcasing examples of “positive masculinity.”
“Moving forward, we are going to continue to work on representation in our curriculum. This is not just representation of the amazing, strong women who have shaped global history, but also representation of positive masculinity,” she said.
“We need to show that to be a man is not to be simply one thing. To do so, we highlight well-known figures such as Harry Styles and Elliot Page. They show that masculinity can mean softness and strength, and everything in between.”
However, the inclusion of Page as a role model has prompted some debate. Some educational professionals have suggested that holding up a trans man as an example of masculinity may risk undermining the intended message — that biological men can also be gentle and emotionally aware.
