Beautiful Virgin Islands

Friday, Jul 25, 2025

University of Manchester advises against using 'mother' and 'father'

University of Manchester advises against using 'mother' and 'father'

A university has advised staff against using the terms "mother" and "father" to avoid bias and assumption.

The University of Manchester's guidance on inclusive language encourages the use of gender-neutral terms such as "partner" or "guardian" instead.

Jonathan Gullis, Conservative MP for Stoke-on-Trent North, Kidsgrove and Talke, described the guidance as "wokery gone mad".

The university has denied scrapping or banning any words.

The guidance, which was circulated to staff earlier this week, was created by the university's equality, diversity and inclusion team.

It follows feedback from colleagues who suggested they would like more advice on which terms and language to use, the university said.

The guidance recommends using gender-neutral terms, rather than those that make sex distinction such as:

*  You or they/their/them, not he/she or him/her

*  People/person or individual(s), rather than man/men or woman/women

*  Everyone/colleagues, rather than ladies and gentlemen/guys

*  Parent or guardian, rather than mother or father

*  Partner, rather than husband or wife

*  Sibling, rather than brother or sister

*  Artificial or synthetic, rather than man-made

*  Humankind, not mankind

*  Workforce, not manpower

*  We provide cover or staff, rather than to 'man'

The guidance has been criticised on social media with some labelling the advice as "language policing" while others defended the move, stating that schools and universities have used terms like "parent or guardian" instead of "mother and father" for decades.

Toby Young, general secretary of the Free Speech Union, said: "If I was a student at Manchester University I'm not sure I would regard this as a good use of my £9,250 a year.

"Instead of focusing on educational standards, or supporting those students who've been short-changed during the pandemic, Manchester has wasted time and money on producing a guide to how to speak woke-ish.

"Young people hate it when you call them snowflakes, but Manchester has done its students no favours by suggesting they might be offended by words like 'mother' and 'father'."

A University of Manchester spokesperson said it had "simply produced a guidance document for our staff that encourages the use of more inclusive language to avoid bias or assumptions".

"In that, we recommend the use of the term 'parent/guardian'," they added.

"This is well established terminology and does not in any way mean that we are banning the words 'mother' or 'father'."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
×