Delivering on Scotland’s Commitment to LGBT Inclusive Education

Since 2021, all Local Authority run schools in Scotland are expected to deliver LGBT inclusive education as part of the curriculum. Many schools and educators are already doing fantastic work in this area, and others will be at the beginning of their journey.

“Scotland’s approach to LGBT inclusive education has been developed as an educational response to the decades-long phenomena of homophobic bullying and prejudice-based behaviours that many school pupils report experiencing. It is important for LGBT young people and children who have LGBT family members because it ensures that they are reflected in their learning at school while addressing the root causes of prejudice.”

Jordan Daly, Co-Founder/Director of Time for Inclusive Education

At a glance:

• All Local Authority run schools in Scotland are expected to implement LGBT inclusive education through Curriculum for Excellence
• LGBT inclusive education has the power to promote wellbeing, tackle inequality and Get it Right for LGBT learners
• There is a suite of free resources available to help you embed LGBT inclusive education in your school. These resources can be accessed via www.lgbteducation.scot

Building confidence

Today, many communities across the world are witnessing the progress which has been made on LGBT rights, under threat. Harmful narratives are scapegoating LGBT people and other minoritised groups, as the far right becomes increasingly visible in mainstream society.

In Scotland, we have an opportunity in the national commitment to LGBT inclusive education to address this rising threat, in a context marked by widespread misinformation.

In some areas, negative communication spread by groups and individuals in relation to LGBT rights may cause staff, pupils, parents or learners to be misinformed in relation to LGBT inclusive education. If schools are concerned about misinformation, care should be taken to consult the necessary guidance and seek appropriate advice.

You may also want to reach out to organisations such as the Time for Inclusive Education Campaign, who may have further advice or may be able to work directly with your school community to ensure that they are well informed and supported.

“School pupils today are already learning about LGBT topics and people, but it can largely be through social media. A school curriculum that doesn’t include LGBT topics not only doesn’t reflect the reality of our society, but it presents an information vacuum which is being filled by online influencers, some of whom may be promoting inaccurate or prejudicial information.

“We are fortunate to have a framework and supporting resources for LGBT Inclusive Education in Scotland, and it is crucially important for schools to take this forward to ensure that all children and young people can learn about the world around them in the safety of the classroom.“

Jordan Daly, Co-Founder/Director of Time for Inclusive Education

Taking pride

EIS take pride in Scotland being the first country in the world to commit to embedding LGBT inclusive education across the curriculum, because we know the difference this will make to our learners. Members are encouraged to take a proactive and positive approach to implementation, and communicate the benefits widely, to the whole school community. We can all play our part by helping to create safe, supportive and inclusive educational settings, which allow everyone to thrive.

EIS take pride in Scotland being the first country in the world to commit to embedding LGBT inclusive education across the curriculum, because we know the difference this will make to our learners.

The national commitment sends a strong message to rectify a historical wrong – it was only 24 years ago that Section 2A was in place in Scotland – a harmful piece of legislation introduced under the Conservative government of the time, effectively prohibiting any level of LGBT inclusion in schools.

“LGBT inclusive education provides current and future generations with opportunities that many of us didn’t have before – to grow up knowing that it is ok to be who they are, to see themselves in their learning, and know that many inspirational people are just like them.

“Through our evaluation processes, we see key trends: teachers feel more confident including LGBT themes in the curriculum after completing professional learning; when this is delivered effectively, it reduces prejudice in the school; LGBT young people feel more included and supported, and so do children with LGBT parents.

“We also know that most parents and carers welcome this approach and are increasingly expecting their child’s school to teach about diverse families, prejudice and bullying, rights, and LGBT pioneers and role models as part of ordinary, common-sense learning.”

Jordan Daly, Co-Founder/Director of Time for Inclusive Education

Raising awareness to make progress

I was lucky enough to be one of the first few teachers to have training funded by TIE to enable me to deliver professional learning focused on LGBT+ awareness to my colleagues, firstly in my own school but in the following years as part of a team available to deliver similar sessions throughout the local authority.

Material that I had originally thought might be considered common knowledge turned out to be very well received by participants and, while I had prepared myself for some opposition, colleagues valued the opportunity to learn and expressed feeling more confident in tackling LGBT related issues in their settings.

Unfortunately, there are some individuals who aim to dissuade schools from meeting their obligation to deliver LGBT+ inclusive education, by attempting to undermine our partner organisations and teacher professionalism, and sow concerns regarding children’s wellbeing when supported to live authentically.

We all want every child and young person to be safe and included at every school. The possible harm associated with the spread of disinformation is a stark reminder that we cannot afford to become complacent on any social justice issue, if we are to get it right for every child.

In TIE’s current role as professional learning and teaching resource providers, their team includes qualified teachers with experience of working in Scottish schools. They understand the curricular context of Scottish education and the challenges faced by teachers. Crucially, they continue to seek views and measure the effectiveness of their approach.

In February, they published the results of a survey of parents and carers which showed overwhelming support for and appreciation of LGBT+ inclusive education, with 70% of respondents expressing support for the national programme and 76% believing children should be taught about anti-LGBT+ discrimination.

These findings should give confidence to everyone just starting out on their LGBT inclusive education journey – though a small but vocal minority aims to spread disinformation on this issue, by and large, the population supports progress. And organisations such as TIE, as well as the EIS, are there to assist.

Damien Donnelly, EIS Equality Rep

Resources

The Power of LGBT Inclusive Education: This guidance offers advice for EIS members on how we can play our part by helping to create safe, supportive and inclusive educational settings, which allow everyone to thrive.

Respect for All (Scottish Government): Refreshed Guidance for schools and organisations on preventing and responding to bullying between children and young people, including advice on online bullying and recording and monitoring incidents.

lgbteducation.scot: The one stop platform for teachers to access quality approved materials, resources, and professional learning linked to Scotland’s Curriculum to support the implementation of LGBT Inclusive Education.