Making classrooms safe spaces for LGBTQIA+ students
When Paul Stevens first started teaching, he knew exactly the kind of teacher he was going to be.
‘‘It was really important to me, when I became a teacher, to be out in the classroom.’’
During his school years, an openly lesbian teacher became a role model for him. He wanted to be that person for all of his students. Teachers, he said, played such an important role in students’ lives, so it was important they didn’t hide who they were.
Other teachers Stuff spoken to by – both members of the LGBTQIA + community and allies – had the same view, but many still opposed the idea.
A thread in a primary school teachers’ Facebook group that Stuff saw asked teachers how they were celebrating Pride Week in the classroom. It attracted an array of negative comments, with some teachers strongly against the idea of LGBTQIA+ content being introduced at a primary level.
Julie Belliveau, a primary school teacher in Auckland, wasn’t shocked by the negative comments – which she labelled ‘‘misguided’’ – and rather viewed them as a wake-up call that teachers still needed educating. She thought there needed to be a campaign like the Unteach Racism movement launched by The Teaching Council this year.
What’s in the curriculum? Should it be changed?
There wasn’t anything specific in the curriculum about the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ content, but a number of existing principles and key competencies could be interpreted as such.
Belliveau, who began teaching in 2008, explained a key competency in the curriculum was ‘relating to others’. In order to fulfil this, teachers needed to ensure tamariki felt safe to be themselves at school, and learned to relate to Aotearoa’s diverse population.
The national curriculum also promoted the principle of inclusion – putting the onus on teachers to ensure students’ identities, languages, abilities and talents were recognised and affirmed.
Last year, the ministry refreshed its resource – Relationships and Sexuality Education: A guide for teachers, leaders, and boards of trustees –to guide educators on how to design rainbow-friendly programmes. The resource was tailored for years 1 to 8 and years 9 to 13, the latter explained how policies for inclusion and diversity should clearly describe the available support systems for students who identified as LGBTQIA+.
Belliveau supported the need for the inclusion of specific LGBTQIA+ content in the national curriculum to ensure the topic was addressed in every classroom at every age level. For younger students, it could be as simple as adding rainbow-friendly books and narratives to reading lists.
Stevens, who teaches years 11 to 13 on Auckland’s North Shore, suggested the curriculum encourage and provide strong resourcing around LGBTQIA+ content, rather than mandating it.
Ellen MacGregor-Reid, the deputy secretary for early learning and student achievement at the
Ministry of Education, explained the flexibility of the curriculum provided schools with a starting point to design their own curricula.
What does LGBTQIA+ inclusion look like in the classroom?
Some teachers had already found ways to incorporate rainbow elements into the classroom. For Stevens, an art teacher, he created a safe space for queer students to explore their identity through art.
He also, where relevant, referred to an artist’s gender or sexuality, something he said could be done in any lesson. A history lesson exploring World War II, for example, could look at the life of Alan Turing, a codebreaker who was prosecuted for being gay.
Ben Millar, an art teacher in the Tasman region, made similar changes to his lessons. He fostered inclusion in the classroom by featuring rainbow artists in student resources and encouraging open communication and exploration. He also helped organise a Pride assembly and lunch this year.
Belliveau used inquiry learning with her year 5 and 6 students, that allowed students to research and present things they learned about Pride Week.
‘‘Pride Week is a wonderful time to give students a chance to learn about the LGBTQIA+ community in a child-centred way that celebrates diversity and teaches children to be accepting of all types of people from all walks of life.’’
Belliveau often referred to the legalisation of same-sex marriage in her lessons, and began every day with the mantra: ‘‘Everyone in Room 6 should feel happy and safe so we can learn.’’
She said: ‘‘It’s a place where every child, regardless of religion, race or sexual orientation, should feel welcome and safe to be themselves. How on earth can every child feel safe if Pride and all conversation dealing with the LGBTQIA+ community is avoided and swept under the rug?’’