Irish schools to tackle homophobia
October 13th, 2009 by Kaite.Welsh
Irish secondary schools have been given a guide to help them support their lesbian, gay and bisexual students after research showed that four out of five teachers witnessed verbal homophobic abuse but did not know how to handle it. Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Students in Post-Primary Education: Guidance for Principals and School-Leaders, was published today.
The paper, which was produced by the Department of Education in conjunction with prominent campaigning group GLEN (Gay and Lesbian Equality Network), is designed to tackle homophobic bullying in schools. It offers advice for teaching staff including the suggestion to develop a school policy that includes, rather than ignores, LGB students, and warns that more than half of LGBT students have been called abusive names and that one in five have missed school because they were afraid of being bullied.
The Irish Minister for lifelong learning, Sean Haughey, launched the report today, saying that “the 21st century school is one that is safe and supportive of all students, including lesbian, gay and bisexual students. As with all bullying in schools, homophobic bullying is unacceptable and a whole-school approach is required to ensure that lesbian, gay and bisexual students are safe and supported and achieve their full educational and personal potential.”
The report is available in both English and Gaelic.
[via Pink News]
Well that’s progress, especially with Ireland’s shaky record on gay (and women’s) rights.
Lola ∼ October 13th, 2009 6:09 pmPfft. I’ll believe it when I see it.
I go to a Catholic girl’s secondary in the midlands- you wouldn’t believe some of the teachers. In German class, we got a half-hour rant on how gays and Asians are murdering innocent Irish people, or something along those lines. Then five minutes of speaking in tongues, and finally some actual German. This isn’t an unusual occurence. She’s normally worse. The one time I reported her, the vice-principal just stood their while my best friend sobbed, and cut me off in the middle of explaining why the statement “homosexuality is disgusting” is, in fact, homophobic.(he still maintains that it’s not at all offensive to yell that at insecure thirteen-year-old girls.)
So yeah. Woo. A report. Forgive me for not being thrilled.
Aisling ∼ December 7th, 2009 7:34 pmI second what Lola says. I am in an all girls secondary in Dublin,the supposedly cosmopolitan capital. Not only the students, but the teachers are highly homophobic. YSI projects on attitudes to LGBT issues are deemed unsuitable, drama groups cancelled for having a gay character, girls ASKED TO LEAVE THE SCHOOL for being gay. To be frank, the minister can shove his report up his ass for all I care. I don’t want a report, I want them to come into schools and take out all the teachers with homophobic views. I want fines. I want to be able to be who I am without being thrown out of school.
Elaine ∼ February 15th, 2010 3:03 pmhomophobic schmomophoic.
jamman ∼ March 28th, 2010 7:22 pm