Teachers in Ireland Roast ‘Lulu the Pig’

DUBLIN, Ireland — Lulu the pig washes the dishes while her mate, Mici the Monkey, reads a book--and teachers in Ireland are enraged, saying that the characters portrayed in a new book for primary schools smack of male chauvinism and give young children a stereotyped image of the sexes.

An equality committee set up by the Irish Teachers’ Union plans to call on the Education Department to ban the book, which has already been sent to some schools.

Committee member Teresa Murphy complained to the Irish Times that all the male animals chosen for the book were intelligent, friendly and warm. Even when Rira the dog helps in the kitchen, he is shown dropping the dishes. Murphy said this clearly was meant to show men were inefficient in the kitchen.