Jennifer Smith, 25 July 2019, Tags:
The LGBT+ community is a part of everyday life, so lessons in school must reflect the diversity children experience in the world around them and in themselves. This helps them feel they belong and equips them to make safe, informed decisions. If they don’t get these vital tools from trusted adults, most young people will search online, where information can be unreliable and unsafe. Respecting all types of families, while challenging stigma and discrimination, means less bullying.
According to government figures, roughly 7% of the population is either LGBT or identifies as intersex, queer, aromantic, asexual, or agender. From a very young age, these people are aware that they are in a minority, but only gradually come to understand the consequences as they grow up. Their risk of mental health issues, self-harm or suicidal ideation is disturbingly high. Our education system can play an important role in addressing these serious issues.
Every child has a right to feel accepted, understood, and included, so we need to show them how to treat each other in friendships, family, and other relationships. Then, later on, they will understand consent. They need the tools to develop stable emotional bonds which protect them from emotional distress and therefore mental health problems. The emphasis at primary school is on relationships, not sexual activity or contraception. Unfortunately, misunderstandings about this seem to have been behind some of the recent protests against ‘LGBT lessons’.
‘Relationships education’ will be mandatory in primary schools from September 2020. The Equality Act protects diversity, including sexual orientation, and schools have a duty to promote British values of tolerance and individual liberty. The Green Party supports these principles and would ensure that every teacher is qualified and skilled to provide an LGBTIQA+ inclusive education which portrays different relationship statuses as valid.
