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Don’t say ‘woke’ - 13th December 2021

Adults should stop laughing at the younger generation. They should stop calling them 'woke', said an important head teacher.

'Woke' is an informal word from the US. It means you know about issues in society, particularly sexism and racism. But now, it is often used negatively, to complain about or laugh at people who are against those ideas.

Samantha Price is the president of the Girls' Schools Association. She told parents and teachers that pupils are really worried about climate change, racism and sexism.

Ms Price, who is also headmistress of Benenden School in Kent, spoke at her annual conference. She told them adults "feel today's teenagers are speaking a different language; that they can't say anything without being corrected."

Ms Price said she is tired of hearing people complain about younger generations. She says the world has changed, and the older generation needs to change too.

Ms Price said the young generation "are simply young people who care about things: about causes, about the planet, about people ... [they are] being kind."

The older generation needs to understand this. They should stop laughing at and complaining about young people.