Schools in Wales and Scotland are implementing respective and inclusive guidance to help support LGBTQ+ students.

Both regions of the UK recently announced separate schemes that would support transgender and queer students by training faculty members on how to handle LGBTQ+ issues.

Reports reveal that 60 per cent of Scotland’s secondary schools have adopted LGBTQ+ Youth Scotland’s inclusivity scheme as of Monday (24 April).

The LGBT Charter aims to provide a number of resources, including awareness training and policy reviews, to help improve the treatment of LGBTQ+ youth in local schools.

So far, 212 of 357 secondary schools in Scotland have adopted it, along with 40 primary schools and 21 colleges.

Advertisement Remove ads

Thirty-one of 34 secondary schools in Edinburgh have been awarded charter status and will receive the benefits of the scheme along with 31 out of 38 schools in Glasgow.

Additionally, every local authority has at least one or more school which has received charter status.

Partnerships director at LGBT Youth Scotland, Ali Kerr, said in a statement: “These are formative years for young people and it’s vital that LGBTQ+ individuals are supported.

“With nearly two-thirds of secondary schools participating, this represents a significant commitment from Scottish educators to LGBT inclusion.”

Wales schools to receive supportive LGBTQ+ guidance

Meanwhile, Wales aims to publish guidance on supporting transgender and LGBTQ+ pupils in the next academic year

The Welsh parliament said it would provide “clear and well-informed advice” after an “extensive” consultation session over the course of this year.

Efforts to improve LGBTQ+ awareness in schools come amid reports from various charities that teachers often lack the confidence to address certain issues in classrooms.

As a result, an LGBTQ+ Action Plan implemented by the Welsh government hopes to create a comprehensive guide for teachers by 2024. The government initially planned to release the scheme in late 2023, but delayed its publication to guarantee integrity.

“This is a complex area of policy which requires extensive consultation with experts, practitioners, and the public, as well as children and young people themselves,” BBC News reported the Welsh government as saying. 

The two respective efforts to better support LGBTQ+ students contrasts heavily with the recent announcement by the UK government that it will publish guidance forcing teachers to “out” trans students.

According to reports from The Sunday Times on 16 April, prime minister Rishi Sunak said he is “concerned about parental consent,” adding that the guidance will compel teachers to “inform parents about their children questioning their gender.”

PinkNews spoke to several teachers who rejected the plans and clearly stated that the guidance isn’t necessary.

“There are so many vulnerable children in education who need so much support, so much help, and this just isn’t something that is frankly needed in the education system at all,” one said.