LGBT inclusive education: guidance

Background and Context

Educational and Policy Context

LGBT inclusive education has been developed to be implemented and align with Curriculum for Excellence and reflect the educational policy landscape that develops the four capacities for learning; successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors, responsible citizens. Implementing LGBT inclusive education contributes to this learning and teaching and also supports schools to fulfil their responsibilities under the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED), as part of the Equality Act 2010. Appropriate consideration of protected characteristics - including sexual orientation and gender reassignment in curriculum development and delivery, and more widely in policies and practices that take account of the needs of LGBT pupils and staff - can help schools to address the PSED (see Appendix 1).

What is LGBT inclusive education?

The central ethos of Scottish education is one of inclusion. Inclusion is the cornerstone to helping us achieve excellence and equity in education for all our children and young people, and help them develop the four capacities: successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens.

LGBT inclusive education refers to an educational approach of integrating the teaching of LGBT themes into the learning pathway from early level to the Senior Phase, with learning content differentiated to be suitable for the various ages and stages of learning, in order to proactively address prejudice and prejudice-based bullying. Central to this, is ensuring that themes related to the lives, histories, and experiences of LGBT people are included across curriculum areas.

Effectively representing LGBT themes within learning and teaching can prevent harmful stereotypes and stigma from arising, which often lead to prejudice or bullying; and allows learners to see themselves and their families reflected throughout their learning pathway.

LGBT inclusive education recognises the value of a whole school approach which includes ensuring educators engage in career long professional learning; addresses and records bullying behaviour; that school and early learning and childcare staff use a children and young people’s rights‑based approach to supporting all children and young people; and, that schools and local authorities have supportive policies in place to ensure consistent practice.

LGBT inclusive education should be delivered throughout the academic year in regular learning and teaching, as part of Curriculum for Excellence, which supports interdisciplinary learning where appropriate.

Why is LGBT inclusive education being implemented?

Homophobia, biphobia and transphobia are continuing issues within education settings, and LGBT learners report feeling excluded from or underrepresented in their learning pathway. Research continues to show LGBT learners experience high rates of bullying and prejudice. This can lead to negative outcomes such as poor wellbeing, absenteeism, ineffective coping mechanisms, and poorer academic attainment.

LGBT inclusive education facilitates a proactive, educational approach within schools to address the stereotypes, social stigma, and inequalities that can often lead to prejudice or prejudice-based bullying experienced by learners who are LGBT, perceived or thought to be LGBT by others, or who have LGBT family members. Additionally, young people may participate in prejudice-based behaviours in a non-targeted manner, such as the normalised use of pejorative language like the phrase “that’s so gay” or derogatory slurs.

In 2018, the Scottish Government accepted 33 recommendations outlined in a report from a variety of education stakeholders on the LGBTI Inclusive Education Working Group, proposing the adoption of an educational approach to address the homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia often experienced by LGBT young people and their peers. This can be accessed at https://www.gov.scot/publications/lgbti-inclusive-education-working-group-report/

Children and young people are likely to engage with topics related to equality, identity, and encounter information about diverse groups of people in society, through social media and the internet where they may encounter harmful content and disinformation. It is important that the curriculum therefore provides children and young people with opportunities to learn about these topics in a safe and factual learning environment.

The LGBT Inclusive Education Framework

All local authority run schools in Scotland are expected to implement LGBT inclusive education through Curriculum for Excellence in alignment with the national approach..

The 2018 report developed a framework which set out the themes related to LGBT people to be included across Scotland’s curriculum, Curriculum for Excellence, and teaching and learning within the Four Contexts for Learning:

• Curriculum areas and subjects;
• Interdisciplinary learning;
• Ethos and life of the school; and,
• Opportunities for personal development.

In implementing the recommendations from the report, the Scottish Government and COSLA (Convention of Scottish Local Authorities) took a joint approach to implementation, agreeing all local authority run schools in Scotland would be expected to implement LGBT inclusive education. Phased implementation of this work began in September 2021 and schools from all local authority areas have started taking this forward in their own setting.

Work on implementing LGBT inclusive education should have already begun. Where this is not already the case, schools should consider their upcoming evaluations and School Improvement Plans for opportunities to include LGBT inclusive education.