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Over the years, fairy tales have become 'controversial' due to the gender stereotypes they depict, yet an education expert urges teachers to bring them back into the classroom to address complex societal issues.
According to school teacher and education doctoral candidate at the University of South Australia Glenn Saxby, fairy tales can help primary school students learn about empathy, kindness, ethics, and cooperation.
“Fairy tales allow discussing with the kids in a very gentle way as they do not feel like they are being lectured to or preached to,” Saxby told Education Review.
“We can use these stories for social lessons and the learning of emotions but also to discuss the stereotypes in gender, both femininity and masculinity.”
Saxby said fairy tales in the classroom offer endless opportunities as they can assist in teaching literacy or even STEM subjects.
He joined Education Review to discuss the role of fairy tales in primary school.
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