A NATIONAL parents’ group has backed a campaign calling for the introduction of lessons in Scotland’s schools aimed at tackling LGBT bullying.
The National Parent Forum Scotland (NPFS) has given its support to Time for Inclusive Education (TIE), which is lobbying for new legislation to ensure schools tackle discrimination proactively.
Last year, the campaign published research that found 90 per cent of LGBT young people had experienced homophobia at school while 27 per cent said they had attempted suicide due to being bullied.
Forum chairwoman Joanna Murphy said: “The NPFS believes that an education system that is inclusive and free of prejudice is a right that every single pupil should enjoy, and so we are pleased to announce that we are supporting the TIE campaign, which aims to improve the health and wellbeing of young people in our schools.
“We owe it to our young people to have an open and frank discussion around these issues in our schools, and we hope that this also encourages parents and parent councils to continue this discussion.”
The Scottish Government launched a national working group in April to take forward TIE’s proposals, which include teacher training and LGBT inclusivity in the curriculum.
TIE co-founder Liam Stevenson said: “As a parent myself, I know that we can play a crucial role in tackling prejudicial behaviours among young people. The endorsement of the NPFS further solidifies parental support. We look forward to continuing to work with the NPFS in order to ensure that all schools are LGBT-inclusive.”
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