Just Equal Australia say they have once again written to the Cook Government calling for the return of the Inclusive Schools Program.
WA Spokesperson, Brian Greig, said the jailing this week of five youths who had engaged in homophobic vigilante attacks, should be all the evidence the State Government needs to show that anti-LGBTIQA+ prejudice and bullying is still rife among some teens.
“These offenders were still of school age and had recently been in or through the education system. Yet they emerged with the belief that gay men should be hunted down, tortured and violently assaulted.”
In sentencing, Judge Hughes said the boys held a misconception that gay men were “inherently deviant and have a sexual interest in children.”
Greig said that as a community we must ask ourselves how these boys came to formulate these views during their high school years, how the education system failed to detect or address this prejudice, and what roles schools can play in LGBTIQA+ education and inclusion.
The lobby group highlights that Victoria, Tasmania, the ACT, Queensland and the Northern Territory fund Inclusive Education programs for LGBTIQA+ awareness and understanding. WA does not.
“I think it’s completely unacceptable that the Liberal Government in Tasmania funds an Inclusive Schools program, but the Labor Government of Western Australia won’t do the same,” Greig said.
In 2018, the McGowan Government rebranded the original ‘Safe Schools’ program as ‘Inclusive Education WA’ and widened its appeal and application. However, the campaign against it from religious conservatives intensified and his government stopped funding five years ago. Premier Cook has not revisited the program.
Since October 2020 the program was collapsed into an online module only available by request. Mr Greig says this is “nowhere near adequate” and undervalues the need for it.
“It lacks the interpersonal connections and face-to-face advocacy the program can deliver when done properly.”
Brian Greig said the excuses offered by the State Government not to fund the program were clearly “nonsense”, and the recent violence and jailings should be a wake-up call to MPs.
“With the State Treasurer forecasting a surplus of $2.4 Billion, it is not unreasonable to ask that a mere $1.5 million of that goes to Inclusive Schools training,” he said.
Before it was axed, Inclusive Schools WA had delivered professional development sessions to 3,014 school staff, distributed 15,259 resources and recorded a 95 per cent success rating from feedback on presentations.
