Developing equal opportunities for lesbian and gay students

Gay HIV Strategies launched its report on Education: Lesbian and Gay Students, Developing Equal Opportunities on 12 April 2000. This report focuses on the difficulties and problems of gay, lesbian and bisexual students in first and second level education in Ireland. These problems include bullying and harassment, isolation, depression and poor self esteem, leading in some cases to poor educational attainment and/or early school leaving. The report explores these issues, drawing on relevant Irish and international research.

It then goes on to outline developments in equality and educational policies in Ireland, focusing in particular on policies and programmes at primary and secondary level that have particular relevance in terms of addressing the problems faced by young lesbian and gay people in education. Such programmes include Social and Personal Health Education, Relationships and Sexuality Education, Civic, Social and Political Education and the new Exploring Masculinities programme.

The report also explores the potential of policies on bullying, educational disadvantage and gender to address issues of concern to lesbian and gay students. It goes on to discuss developments in relation to teacher training and other supports for teachers to enable them to effectively address issues in relation to sexual orientation.

The report stresses the urgent need to respond to the educational needs of gay and lesbian students. It also emphasises that "the many new approaches and initiatives in education and related areas provide great opportunities for promoting a safer and more supportive school environment for gay, lesbian and bisexual students." Realising these opportunities will require:

• A serious commitment by relevant agencies within the context of an overall strategy
• The provision of resources for the necessary work to be carried out and
• Openness to working in partnership with the gay/lesbian community.

The report recommends that a Project Director be employed to engage with the range of agencies and initiatives, to develop joint pilot/demonstration projects and to contribute to policy development. The role of the Project Director would include:

• Identifying and supporting ‘best practice’ initiatives in schools to address problems faced by gay students and promoting and mainstreaming such approaches at national level
• Identifying key support requirements for teachers in meeting the needs of gay students and promoting the delivery of such support through pre-service and in-service training, Education Centres and relevant national structures such as the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment
• Identifying the particular needs of gay students who are already disadvantaged and developing responses to such needs through existing programmes to address educational disadvantage.

Brian Sheehan, Project Director with Gay HIV Strategies, stresses that the report is "our contribution to the development of a more equal and accessible education system for all."

Copies of the report can be obtained from Gay HIV Strategies, Tel: 01-4730599, Email: ghs@nexus.ie