I Guess There'll be a Lot More Boys Named Sue

Back in 1971 country music great Lester Flatt, commenting on the cultural upheavals of the times, sang a classic called: "I Can't Tell the Boys from the Girls." Now, forty years later, in Sweden (where else?), those words have now become mandatory.

Preschool Bans Use of Words 'Him' and 'Her' 

STOCKHOLM (AP) — At the "Egalia" preschool, staff avoid using words like "him" or "her" and address the 33 kids as "friends" rather than girls and boys. 

From the color and placement of toys to the choice of books, every detail has been carefully planned to make sure the children don't fall into gender stereotypes. 

"Society expects girls to be girlie, nice and pretty and boys to be manly, rough and outgoing," says Jenny Johnsson, a 31-year-old teacher. "Egalia gives them a fantastic opportunity to be whoever they want to be." 

The taxpayer-funded preschool which opened last year in the liberal Sodermalm district of Stockholm for kids aged 1 to 6 is among the most radical examples of Sweden's efforts to engineer equality between the sexes from childhood onward.

Thanks to William Tighe.