Meet the Scots teachers putting LGBTI issues front and centre in classrooms across nation
SPECIAL REPORT
BY PETER SWINDON
PIONEERING Scots teachers are laying the groundwork for a radical new school curriculum which will put LGBTI issues at the centre of education. The plan would be the first in Europe to put LGBTI – lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex – children on an equal footing with heterosexual pupils. Campaign group Time for Inclusive Education (TIE) is calling for mandatory teaching of LGBTI issues in schools to end discrimination and bullying in the hope that it will “save lives”. This would see LGBTI issues discussed in the same way that heterosexual issues are discussed in schools.
TIE believes the new moves will end the “culture of silence” around issues faced by LGBTI people. Campaigners say Scottish schools are a “breeding ground” for bullying and abuse which can contribute to self-harming and suicide. It is sixteen years since the repeal of Section 28 in Scotland – which prevented the “promotion” of homosexuality in classrooms – but that legislation has left an unwanted legacy of discrimination which still needs tackled, according to TIE. TIE co-founder Jordan Daly, 21, said: “We launched TIE in an effort to tackle homo/bi/transphobia in Scottish schools and to ensure LGBTI young people are fully supported during their time in education. While Section 28 was repealed 16 years ago, we are still feeling the effect. Currently, our schools are breeding grounds for homo/bi/ transphobic attitudes and this has a detrimental impact on LGBTI+ youth – many of whom are sadly resorting to self-harm or suicide.
“In most schools, there is a culture of silence around LGBTI and this has to be addressed. The support that we have received from politicians has been incredibly encouraging, but it is now time for words to translate into action, and so we look forward to working with our government to ensure that school is a safe place for all of our young people.”
Liam Stevenson, a 38-year-old tanker driver from Cumbernauld, co-founded the campaign with Daly because he wants his five-year-old daughter to be educated in “a safe and inclusive environment”.
He said: “We were recently sent an email by a pupil following an assembly that we delivered in her school. It said: ‘I just wanted to say thanks, and to let you know that it is quite possible that you saved lives today – and opened the eyes of others’.
“For me, this sums up the need for LGBTI inclusivity within education – it is imperative because it can save lives. My daughter starts school in August and I want to be confident that regardless of her identity, she will be learning in a safe and inclusive environment.
“It is vital that we tackle these issues now, so that my daughter’s generation will not be subject to the same struggle that many LGBTI youth are facing today. We owe it to our children to ensure that they can thrive in a society free of homo/bi/ transphobia and the key to this is inclusive education.”
The new TIE training scheme will be piloted in Glasgow and Edinburgh in October but many teachers are already trying to change the way schools treat LGBTI issues.
Scott Mowat, 29, a principal teacher at Ibrox Primary School in Glasgow, said: “I came out at school in my early teens. I was very lucky not to be bullied. The difference with me is I am quite masculine. But I’ve seen other people be bullied for it. I was actually bullied as a student teacher. So I want to teach children that difference is ok.
“I’ve been delivering LGBTI-friendly lessons from nursery right up to primary seven. The youngest pupils are taught to celebrate families and differences. In the middle school I teach about gender bias and in the upper school we look at what LGBTI actually means.
“The message is it is OK to be gay and OK to be different. As long as you’re loved, that’s the most important thing in a family. I’ve also purchased LGBT literature which I read to pupils at all levels.”
Mowat has enjoyed the support of a majority of pupils and parents, however some young people have resisted. He explained: “I’ve had children who are religious who say they don’t think there is anything wrong with difference but their religion does, and they need to follow that religion.
“But I haven’t had many adverse reactions. On one occasion a pupil called another an offensive name. I stopped the lesson and explored why it is offensive to some people and why it’s inappropriate to call people that. We spent about an hour looking at transgender people. At the end of it the pupils realised why such name calling could upset some people.
“I think teachers want to do similar and perhaps they don’t have the confidence. But I think it’s important to talk about it, and teachers do have the ability. Teachers need to feel that it’s on the agenda. The more this is in the limelight, the more that schools and local authorities will want to take it on.”
The Catholic Church has also indicated support for TIE, insisting there is a “zero-tolerance approach” to discrimination in Catholic schools and moves are afoot to ensure all teachers feel confident addressing LGBTI issues. A spokeswoman for the Catholic Church in Scotland said: “The Church is working with the Catholic Head Teacher associations to ensure that all teachers have adequate knowledge, understanding and training and feel confident in addressing all aspects of relationships education, including LGBTI matters, in an appropriate and sensitive way.”
Meanwhile, at Vale of Leven Academy a pupil-led committee has been set up with the support of secondary teachers Lauren Robson and Dawn Wilson. The group provides advice and support on LGBTI issues to pupils, teachers and parents, as well as training for staff across the region. Vale of Leven Academy has also set up a Rainbow Room where young people can report homophobic bullying and language, speak to someone about coming out, or find out more about LGBTI issues.
Wilson said: “I have been working
The youngest pupils are taught to celebrate families and differences. In the middle school I teach about gender bias and in the upper school we look at what LGBTI actually means