Safe Schools won’t be funded beyond 2017
THE Safe Schools Coalition Australia (SSCA) will work with with the Federal Government which announced it plans聽to make聽changes to the Safe Schools program after the results of a review into the program, despite confirmation it won’t be funded beyond it’s current contract which expires next year.
The Safe Schools programs was designed by the SSCA to protect LGBTI school students from bullying and to educate teachers and school staff about LGBTI issues.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull commissioned the review into Safe Schools after caving into聽pressure from far-right senators and Liberal backbenchers and The Australian聽newspaper, who suggested the program was trying to “indoctrinate” young children into a gay “lifestyle”.
Conducted by the University of Western Australia’s Professor Bill Louden, the were delivered to MPs on Tuesday night and Education Minister Simon Birmingham聽聽today 鈥� which is also聽official聽 鈥� along with the changes it planned to make to the program.
Senator Birmingham also confirmed to journalists at Parliament House today the Safe Schools program would not receive any more federal funding beyond 2017.
鈥�There was never an intention the program be funded beyond the current contract period,” he said.
“The intention was what the program has done and is doing, developing resources for schools and teachers to use in accordance with their policies and following consultation with their parents and those聽resources will of course live on, on the Safe School hub website, the education portal for such resources, long after funding may have finished.鈥�
“Senator Birmingham has announced the Federal Government鈥檚 recommendations following the review and we welcome the government鈥檚 support for the continued delivery of the program. We will work through the聽proposed changes with the Department and the Minister,” said a spokesperson for SSCA.
“SSCA is a national coalition of expert and highly qualified partners delivering training, resources and support for teachers and schools across the country to ensure students can access education in safe and inclusive learning environments.
“SSCA is committed to ensuring the continued positive impact of this work for same sex attracted, intersex and gender diverse students, school staff, and families.聽We thank the Australian community for their support.”
Some of the outcomes of the review found聽the content of the four guidelines documents聽was聽consistent with the aims of the program, reducing homophobic and transphobic behaviour and intersex prejudice, and gender diverse students.
It also found he language and content contained within the guidelines documents were聽suitable for teachers, parents, and students.
However, the key changes to the Safe Schools program Birmingham announced today are:
- Safe Schools will only be offered in high schools
- Parents will be required to give consent for their children to participate in the program
- Parenting bodies will have to authorise a school’s participation in the program
- Links to third party websites and branding聽will be removed from the program resources
- The , and resources will be restricted from being used in classrooms to only being used in one-on-one discussions between students and key qualified staff
- Some lessons in the video education series聽deemed inappropriate will be removed and amendments will be approved by聽Department of Education and Training
As noted in Louden’s review, the聽OMG I’m Queer, OMG My Friend’s Queer聽补苍诲听Stand Out聽resources were never intended for classroom resources but were previously available in聽school libraries or聽student support centres.
“They are suitable for use by individual secondary students but may not be suitable for use in some faith-based schools,” Louden said in his review.
WA Liberal Senator Dean Smith, the Liberal Party’s first openly-gay federal parliamentarian, has reportedly .
According to Louden’s , the process of the review involved interviews with a small sample of schools that use the Safe School program, interviews with students, principals, health education and curriculum area leaders, as well as interviews with the Safe Schools Coalition national convenor and their state and territory network partners.
A spokesperson for Safe Schools said they were currently reviewing the government’s planned changes and would make a public statement in due course.
The Star Observer has also contacted Minus18 for comment.
To read Professor Bill Louden’s report in full,
We should be cultivating empathy at school, not abandoning it because it makes a few (adult) homophobes uncomfortable.
鈥� Senthorun Raj (@senthorun)
A message from a gay Yr 12 student telling me my coverage of Safe Schools has helped him and that what I do matters, has moved me to tears ????
鈥� Jill Stark (@jillastark)
Yep, let’s give parents the final say on whether their kids can access . Same parents whose kids are afraid to come out to them.
鈥� Jason Ball (@greensjason)
The inaction on marriage equality and today’s action on only works to disavow queer children and the queer community at large
鈥� Cin Peeler (@cinsbeenhere)
Religious bigot zealots should look at themselves in the mirror, to show how stupid they really are! The only thing that is really a sin, is being a conservative cunt!
The trouble is that the mirror would break into a million pieces! There seven years of bad luck will soon begin, after the next federal election!
Ask those homophobic parents if they would want their own kids learning about sex by rumour, watching porn, hook-up, visiting saunas, taking drugs and/or risking encounters with sexual predators. All without any parental or professional guidance.
Welcome to the world of growing up gay.
Homophobia (either religious or non-religious) only divides the communities of australia.
Inclusion is the goal that many want to achieve and that would bring about a richer society in australia and abroad…
Let’s have a mandatory freeze on all 150 MPs and 76 Senators politicians pay from the next federal election, until they fucking do there jobs they were elected to do! The Australian people WANT job security, WANT protection of prime agricultural land, WANT protection of Australian assets, WANT an end to stupid red tape, WANT marriage equality, WANT an end to government waste and inefficiency, WANT a budget surplus and WANT an total end to political spin within advertising! FUCKING SIMPLE REALLY! I will be running for the Australian Senate on the Australian Sex Party (AXP) ticket in 2019, and hope to get your vote! I am a 100% Proud Australian, gay, atheist, autistic and centerist libertarian!
The way the current Liberal/National government has handled Safe Schools program makes me fear what these same politicians would say and do regarding the Same-sex marriage plebiscite. All I have heard from the like of George Christensen Cory Bernardi is hatred and ignorance.
It’s time for us to fund the SSP beyond 2017 ourselves via crowdfunding. It’s also time for GLBTI people who vote for the Coalition to stop doing so. A vote for the Coalition is a vote to enable direct, dishonest, and sustained attacks on the GLBTI community, especially GLBTI children. A vote for the Coalition = A vote for GLBTI Hate.
Michael Fenaughty ’78er