| SCHOOL BASED PRACTICES | |
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Many schools around the state are currently working to improve their environments for same sex attracted and transgender students. What follows are descriptions of what a few schools are doing. Documenting this process has only just begun therefore this list is designed to be expanded as we hear about more work that is going on around Melbourne. Scroll down or follow the links to learn more about the improvements that have been made at the following schools: |
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- Mowbray College - St Joseph’s College in Geelong - Eltham High School - La Trobe Secondary College - Swan Hill College - Schools in the Eastern Metropolitan Region - Aquinas College | |
| Mowbray College |  Top |
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| Mowbray College has been doing several things to address the issues of homophobia in their school environment. The Bouverie Family Therapy Centre has been working with the school on the Breaking Through Project. Last year a theatre based project was run with the year 10s and 11s as a gateway into addressing homophobia and difference. This project is an adaptation of the Theatre of the Oppressed model and included students, parents and community members. The student involved in the project produced a resource booklet, ‘Making a Difference’ as well as a website. Two staff have been trained in the theatre format, and continue to use it with other year levels. All staff completed the Safety in our Schools training with the Australian Research Centre in Sex Health & Society, focused around strategies to address homophobia. The school is currently reviewing their harassment policies to address harassment and discrimination on the basis of sexuality. Alongside local community organisations and schools, Mowbray is an active member of the reference group for the local social support service for young people who are same sex attracted or tansgender. Towards the end of 2002 Mowbray’s Student Health Committee organised a special assembly for years 9, 10 and 11 to attend, at which the project worker from the previously mentioned SSAT youth support service to address the students about the local social and support service. Wider issues of homophobia and discrimination were also discussed. The Community Health Nurse also spoke helping to frame the discussion in a wider context of sexuality. The students from the Health Committee then distributed fliers and publicity to all students about these services. These students have also organised publicity for MSSAY to be featured in the schools weekly newsletter, that goes home with all students. This demonstrates that students at Mowbray are interested and committed to addressing these issues. For more information contact John O’Shea, Assistant Principal/Head of Senior School, Mowbray College: 9743 2511. For more information on the Breaking Through project contact Kerry Proctor at the Bouverie Centre: 9376 9844 | |
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| St Joseph’s College in Geelong | Top |
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| St Joseph’s College in Geelong have been dedicated to addressing homophobia in their school since 1998 when the school formed a homophobia taskforce towards the end of that school year. A group of staff, with the assistance of a local Youth Worker, met on a number of occasions to discuss what could be done to overcome homophobia within the culture of the College. School policies have since been reviewed and resources shared on the topic. During 1999 St Joseph’s was involved in the pilot program for Pride & Prejudice. Student evaluations were excellent and provided the developer of the resource with the belief that further development was worthwhile. Eight of their staff will be in-serviced over a two-day period so that they can deliver the programs, and all Year 9 students will be involved in 2003. The college Principal has addressed the students at school assemblies about homophobia, and has briefed parents through a newsletter. Homophobia is also a unit covered by all Year 12 students in Year 12 Religious Education. This active focus in addressing homophobia by St Joseph’s College Geelong has led to a significant change in school culture, whereby all students are more tolerant of differences including students who are same sex attracted. For further information contact Paul Tobias, Principal, St Joseph’s Geelong: 03 5226 8100 | |
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| Eltham High School | Top |
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| Eltham High School philosophy promotes diversity, and for some years has had small numbers of students who are “out” about their sexual orientation. School harassment policies make explicit mention of the fact that harassment on the grounds of someone’s sexual orientation will not be tolerated, and the school is considering a specific homophobia policy, along the lines of their racism policy, which acknowledges the broader, systemic nature of these types of discrimination. Eltham High is an active organisational participant in the local area same-sex attracted reference group, providing strategic direction for the social support group for SSAY that exists in the area, alongside a number of other schools and community agencies. Last year the school invited the facilitators of this group (from local government) and from the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society and Family Planning Victoria, to address the whole staff regarding issues for same-sex attracted students. Since beginning collaboration with the SSAFE Project, Eltham High has had key staff complete an audit regarding the school’s inclusion of same-sex attracted issues across curriculum, welfare and policy. They are planning a forum, facilitated by SSAFE, for a number of students to have their say as well, and will distribute a student version of the SSAFE audit to middle school health education classes. Recently the school used a number of books that they had purchased for their library, as well as posters provided by SSAFE, to develop a display on sexuality, with a particular focus on same-sex attraction. The display was set up in the school library, and maintained through the period in which parent-teacher interviews for every year level took place in the library itself. Overwhelmingly, parents responded positively to this. Existing health curriculum in the school is inclusive of same-sex attraction, but the school has identified that they would like further resourcing in this area. For further information contact Brendan Monigatti, Student Welfare Coordinator, Eltham High School: 9439 5111 | |
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| La Trobe Secondary College | Top |
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| La Trobe Secondary College is another school in the northern metropolitan region working in collaboration with the SSAFE project on developing a whole school approach. They have shown a commitment to redeveloping areas within the school they recognise as needing improvement. To begin the process all staff completed an audit around sexual diversity in their school to assess areas where they feel development is necessary. The outcomes have included a consensus that homophobia is an issue in the school that needs addressing. Among the areas that staff have identified as a high priority for change is a review of the bullying and harassment policy to be inclusive of homophobia. A working group has been set up which includes the school Nurse, Student Welfare Coordinator, Assistant Principal, and the Health Education Co-ordinator. Staff has also expressed a need for professional development and as a result two key staff members are doing the ‘Talking Sexual Health’ training. ‘Talking Sexual Health’ is a national framework for education around sexual health, which advocates a whole school approach and addresses issues of sexual diversity. Another significant advancement within the school is the inclusion of all students in this project. All students will soon complete a ‘student audit’ around how they feel the school is responding to issues around same-sex attraction and gender non-conformity. This is particularly important as it includes students in the development of the school and its processes, along with highlighting the schools’ commitment to addressing these issues. The SSAFE Project helped to facilitate sessions for all Year 9 classes to raise students’ awareness around these issues and reduce homophobic sentiment, and will assist the school in development of further curriculum. For further information contact Desiree Smith, School Nurse, La Trobe Secondary College: 03 9459 9633 | |
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| Swan Hill College | Top |
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| In 2002, Swan Hill College introduced the Pride and Prejudice Program in to their new Personal Development program for Years 9 and 10. Pride and Prejudice was taught at Year 10, by two male English teachers. There was no adverse response to the work and comments overheard from conversations amongst the students suggests that the program has helped to develop some awareness and appreciation of diversity. The school feels that at this point there has been little change in the attitude of the majority of students but acknowledges that the program is only new and can only be a part of the process of developing a more caring and supportive whole-school culture. The program has been implemented alongside and in conjunction with Mind Matters material, and the school feels that this is why it has not created any conflict or dissent in the school community. The school has not made the contents of Pride and Prejudice ’soapbox’ but instead has concentrated on delivering it as part of a complete package aimed at challenging, supporting and teaching Year 9 and Year 10 students. | |
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| Schools in the Eastern Metropolitan Region | Top |
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| Four schools in the eastern metropolitan region are currently working with The Gay and Lesbian Youth Project to implement whole school approaches to dealing with homophobia and supporting SSAY. A government school and a catholic school have written about what they are doing to deal with the issue. Upper Yarra Secondary College, a semi-rural government school in Yarra Junction in the Yarra Valley, has been committed to addressing the issue of homophobia in their school since 2001. A professional development session for welfare staff was implemented, to raise awareness of the issues same sex attracted (SSA) students face, and provide strategies to support them and to address homophobia. In 2002, the school expressed enthusiasm to tackle the issue further with the support of the Gay and Lesbian Youth Project Worker (Shelley Walker). In October, Shelley did a presentation to a number of key staff at the school, including the Principal and Assistant Principal about current national research for SSAY, polices that support the need for schools to respond to the issue, and what a school would need to do to address the issue. On the first day back at school this year, Shelley ran an information session for all staff that again included info about the experiences of SSA students and what the school needs to do to address the issue. A questionnaire was distributed to staff to get feedback about how they view the issue of homophobia in the school and to get a sense of their commitment to learning more about how to support SSA students and ensure the school is safe and supportive of all students. The feedback was extremely positive in that it showed a real enthusiasm from many staff to be involved in the process of striving for cultural change within the school. A working group is being set up in the school that will meet on a regular basis to ensure strategies are implemented. Strategies will include anti-harassment and anti-bullying policy development, developing inclusive curriculum, professional development for staff, and ensuring that the whole school community is involved. For more information contact Alison Fulu, Assistant Principal, Upper Yarra Secondary College, ph: 5967 1877, or Shelley Walker, Gay and Lesbian Youth Project Worker, ph: 9298 8858 or 0408 689 715. | |
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| Aquinas College | Top |
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| Aquinas College, a Catholic secondary school in Ringwood, has embraced the Gay and Lesbian Youth Project and is looking forward to working with the project worker, over the next few years. The school’s involvement began in late 2002 when Shelley came to talk to our Student Support Services staff about the issues for SSA students and strategies to effectively support them. After hearing Shelley talk with great clarity and conviction about the project and enthusing the welfare staff, she returned to address the College executive and a small group of invited staff. From that point, the Principal, Tony O’Byrne, formalised the College’s involvement by agreeing to become one of the pilot schools in the eastern sector. Shelley then returned in the last week of term 4 to address the whole staff about the project. Philippa Lovell from the Catholic Education Office also attended this session and spoke about the CEO’s work in this area. A small working party has been formed to meet with Shelley in term 1 to begin mapping out the project direction at Aquinas. For more info contact Annie Gowing on 9259 3054. | |
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