Safe Schools Coalition Australia - Wikiwand No harm was expected to come from primary schools students viewing the material, just that they may not comprehend some terms such as transphobia or homophobia. [5] The primary activity of the SSCA is the Safe Schools Program that was developed to give support to teachers and schools who had been seeking assistance in the creation of a more inclusive environment for LGBTIQ students and their families. The Victorian Department of Education encourages schools to take a proactive approach to complying with the Victorian Equal Opportunity Act, stating in 2008: We must be proactive in ensuring that our schools are free of homophobia and are safe, affirming environments for all students, not just those who ask for support. The Safe Schools Coalition doesnt force schools to join the program. [101][102] Safe Schools activists from the Community Action Against Homophobia group protested outside a similar event in Sydney. [17] The current (as of November 2017) federal government's policy is not to fund the program beyond 2017. FOI Reference. Anyone saying the program was indoctrinating innocent children or showcasing wild sexual philosophies is out of touch.. During the initial review, Safe Schools advocates fought to save the program with the Hands Off Safe Schools protest. Principals and parent organisations should be able to advocate for the use of Safe Schools Coalition materials to be used in our primary schools if they deem it appropriate to their school context. [144] South Australia has withdrawn from the Safe Schools Coalition Program. [29], The first community-based LGBTIQ youth groups in the fields of social services were established in the United States in the late 1970s. The future of this well-meaning program remains uncertain. Do LGBTIQ students require a more targeted anti-bullying program or can their needs be addressed through broad anti-bullying campaigns? RELATED: Controversial past of mum from anti-same sex marriage TV ad. [13], The program is banned in New South Wales, although it is alleged that some schools still use the materials. (Document) as a. PDF (184.92kb) Creation Date. David Rhodes, a senior lecturer in education at Edith Cowan University, also questioned the so-called inappropriateness of the content and materials following a review: The epithets of dyke and faggot are not limited to secondary classrooms. We pay our respects to the people, the cultures and the elders past, present and emerging. Safe Schools Coalition Australia - Wikipedia "[85], In June 2016, La Trobe University suspended Roz Ward, the British academic and activist who "runs the Safe Schools Coalition" through the university's Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, for saying she wanted to get rid of the "racist" Australian flag and replace it with a red flag, "and my work is done". [113] The Turnbull Liberal/National Coalition government was quick to adopt changes to the program following the review. Your email address will not be published. While Dickson later apologised for the specific words he used, he went on to say the information resource does contain highly explicit material that is being directed at young children. Its mission is to create safe and inclusive schools for students, families and staff who are in these groups. Meanwhile, Greens MP Adam Brandt launched a crowdfunding campaign to provide rainbow flags for schools. The contents of the materials centre on educating the trainee on gender and sexual diversity. [104], In August 2017, a rally to protest against the Safe Schools program in Canberra was "effectively drowned out by vocal supporters" of the program.[105]. The program receives daily requests to work with school communities to promote a safe and environment for LGBTI students. . Safe Schools Coalition Australia's Government website described the program as the first "funded by the Australian Government, aimed at creating safe and supportive school environments for same . The fact that parental oversight was deliberately undermined, and the fact that there was a strong emphasis on redefining gender, also made this program really unsuitable for schools. [116], The Federal Government ceased its funding of the Safe Schools program in October 2016. [95] Donnelly has also said there is a lack of transparency with the program in New South Wales. There is no evidence to indicate schools are pressured to work with Safe Schools Coalition, or to use specific resources. Copyright 20102023, The Conversation Media Group Ltd. National funding for the work comes from the Department of Education. I regret that I wasn't." Another part of the program that received a lot of criticism appeared in The Guide to supporting a student to affirm or transition gender identity at school. The Safe Schools program was premised on two widely held facts: that LGBTIQ students exist and that most homophobic and transphobic incidents affecting youth take place at school. Again, resources for primary schools do not teach or discuss or reference masturbation, or sex toys. [8][9][10], The SSCA initially received bipartisan support from government. Other changes recommended and subsequently implemented include making the program only available to high schools, removing role playing activities and the requirement for parental consent before participation. In Australia, the State of Victoria has set out on implementing a program with similar values, targeted at a particularly vulnerable student demographic: has found that 61 percent of LGBTI kids have experienced verbal homophobic abuse, and 80 percent of that abuse was reported to occur at school. The resources do not reference masturbation, or teach about sex toys or sex aids. There has also been concern about exposing students to a variety of identities that could confuse them, for example by using the term pansexual. Safe Schools Coalition - Crusoe College Tagged with: anti-bullying pastoral care Safe Schools. Review of Appropriateness and Efficacy of the Safe Schools Coalition It does not teach or discuss or reference masturbation, or sex toys. Ward was also suspended from the Safe Schools program. Its most popular service at this stage is whole staff professional learning at the request of schools. Some parents have pushed back against the program based on the assumption that the program will encourage kids to explore different gender identities or teach them radical gender theory. [88] Beyondblue provided almost $600,000 to La Trobe University to administer the Safe Schools program. Sexuality and gender identity do not appear out of the ether in Year 7.. "I'm high profile. Finally, concerns have also been raised about the age-appropriateness of the materials, given that they sometimes pertain to sexual orientation. Agree with Stephen. "Young trans people need an ally, and I could have been one." , whose party criticised the initiative for imposing a politically correct gender and sexuality agenda on schools and supposedly cluttering the current school curriculum. Entitled a Review of Appropriateness and Efficacy of the Safe Schools Coalition Australia Program Resources, the review was written by Emeritus Professor in Education at the University of Western Australia, Bill Louden. [108][109] There is however a new program called Respectful Relationships[110] which is different to Safe Schools, and was developed in response to recommendations made by the Australian Royal Commission on Family Violence. [135] The Victorian opposition education spokesman Tim Smith has said, if elected, he would replace the program with a broader anti-bullying program,[136] as NSW has done. Stream. However, the program is not without its controversies and has received a lot of pushback from politicians. The Safe Schools Coalition in Australia provides a national, government-funded program "aimed at creating safe and supportive school environments for same-sex attracted, intersex and. [5] Its aim is to help school staff create safer and more inclusive environments for LGBTI students and families. McGregor said she objects to the program as she believes it is underpinned by a political ideology with which she does not agree, saying that the program "teaches a derivative of queer theory, which I believe leads trans people into a blind alley". Others believed it was sexualising students by exposing them to inappropriate content and material. Safe Schools received federal funding for four years, but this ended in June 2017. Teaching manuals, videos, childrens books, and other materials are provided to both school administrators, teachers, and students as well, depending on what the school agrees to take on. As such, it is our job to provide them with the education they need NOT the education parents want. Certain politicians and media commentators have accused the initiative of harming the students it ostensibly aims to benefit. ", "Queers of Melbourne This month we meet Roz Ward from Safe Schools", "Stand out against homophobia and transphobia in schools", "Let's make all our schools Safe Schools", "Schools embrace controversial gender program that the LGBT community says 'saves lives', "New education boss told to review controversial sex-ed course", "Queensland Government stands by Safe Schools Coalition Australia", "Safe Schools: Chest binding photo removed from Christian website after complaints by young transgender man shown", "There is no such thing as a 'gay manual', but I wish I'd had this when I was a child", "What happened to the Safe Schools program", "Australian Christian Lobby slams Safe Schools anti-bullying program", "70,000 Signatures Collected In Support Of Safe Schools Coalition", "Safe Schools is like child grooming, says Nationals MP George Christensen", "History repeats: 20 years of political homophobia from the religious right", "Parents are the best judge of their kids' sex education needs", "Safe Schools activist Roz Ward raises 'red flag', "Safe Schools: tell concerned parents 'tough luck! document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Subscribe to our free weekly eNewsletter for the latest news from, Copyright 2023 NationwideNews Pty Ltd All Rights Reserved. It is a social construction and is no way related to ones biological sex. Some of the most vocal critics were Nationals MP George Christensen, Family First Senator Bob Day and Australian Conservative Party founder and former Liberal Cory Bernardi. While Dewar defended the University's actions, he reinstated Ward, with the Teachers Union saying Ward would be then able to resume supporting young people who are bullied. [54] NSW Labor politician Penny Sharpe has said that opposition is primarily due to homophobia and transphobia. [47] In some instances the mere knowledge that a school is part of the coalition has increased the level of safety felt by LGBTIQ students. [17] The goal is to achieve an understanding and tolerance of LGBTIQ individuals through education. [55] A petition presented by Australian Greens Senator Robert Simms to Parliament in March 2016 contained 70,000 signatures in support of the organisation. To date, more than 13,000 school staff around Australia have . Opposition education spokesman Andrew Wall tabled a petition and asked the ACT government to withdraw support for the program. This page is not available in other languages. There is no requirement to use a unisex or accessible toilet or changing room unless a student makes an active choice to do so.. May 24, 2019 The voluntary program gained traction after its success in Victoria and was picked up nationally starting in 2013. [citation needed] Representatives from Safe Schools are available to meet with parents, students and teachers upon request. By: Wade Zaglas They normally are available either in the school library or through the student support centre. Melbourne High School teacher Christopher Bush helped produce and write content. These groups work is based on extensive empirical research about schools as sites of bullying and harassment for same-sex attracted, trans and gender diverse young people. The Real Agenda Behind the Safe Schools Coalition [58] After conservatives described it as promoting homosexuality and recruiting children, the newly elected Howard government cancelled the Here for Life program. What Is Australia's Safe Schools Program? - New Idea 17 October 2016. The Safe Schools Coalition is another significant step on the road toward a more perfect and inclusive Australian society. This page was last edited on 1 July 2023, at 05:35. One Nation Queensland leader Steve Dickson said the Safe Schools program contained 'highly explicit material' that is being 'directed at young children'. Predatory schools and student non-lives: a discourse analysis of the Again, the statistics bear a harsh truth. RELATED: Tyrone Unsworth Told Friend Everyone Wants Me Dead The Day Before He Died. In February, the Australian's editorial referred to it as the "so-called Safe Schools Coalition"; by March, it was the "not-so-safe schools program"; by May, the "gender fluidity Safe Schools program"; by the end of 2016, the "Marxist inspired Safe Schools." In November, journalist Rebecca Urban valiantly continued pumping out stories on Safe Schools, no matter how minor the . Safe Schools does offer support and resources to primary school educators, but this is strictly on request only. [18] Later in November that endorsement was withdrawn[19][20] with the Salvation Army saying that it, "cannot unconditionally support the Safe Schools programs in Australia in their current form". I recommended schools be given official guidelines around the context in which certain materials should be available, as well as around the suitability of material available on third-party websites recommended in the Safe Schools resources. You can read more about those recommendations and changes here. It found that the content in guideline documents was consistent with the aims of the program and that the language and content was suitable. [1], The review revealed that opponents to the program had made statements that grossly misrepresented and exaggerated the nature of the program. Not necessarily. Your parents will read this: Reading (as) parents in journalistic [122], In September 2016, NSW students were told not to participate in any class lessons involving Safe Schools Coalition materials without the consent of their parents. The Conversation contacted Steve Dicksons office to request sources and comment, but did not hear back before deadline.
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