School teachers are being asked to make sure they are tackling gender roles in schools and classrooms by ensuring that they treat sexist language as seriously as racist behaviour. 

Guidelines to be released today (October 20th), are backed by a government report from the Institute of Physics which is looking to bridge the gender gap in the sciences in schools in particular. 

As a part of the new guidelines, teachers will be told that phrases such as "man up" and "sissy" are to be treated as seriously as racist terms as part of a bid to eradicate such language from British schools. 

It will be hoped that by breaking down gender roles in schools, there will be more of a chance of an even spread in science subjects between boys and girls. The new gender policies will be first trialled in schools in England, and if they are adjudged to have been a success, then the scheme will be rolled out across the country. 

Clare Thomson, from the Institute of Physics which was involved in drawing up the recommendations, told the Sunday Times: "Even low-level comments are potentially an issue with teachers using phrases such as ‘man up’.”

Teachers across England are also being asked to become "gender champions", Ms Thomson said. She said the scheme will be asking teachers to try to encourage girls to take subjects in school, for example, that are considered traditionally male, such as economics and physics.