Councillors call out ‘misinformation’ in LGBT schools debate
A “significant amount of misleading information” has enveloped a divisive debate on plans to introduce LGBT inclusive education in Orkney’s schools, five councillors have claimed.
The claim comes on the heels of a series of consultation meetings held to inform parents, carers and guardians about plans to roll out LGBT materials and resources embedded throughout the school curriculum.
Educational charity, Time for Inclusive Education (TIE) is leading the roll-out.
The meetings have proved, at times, contentious — with strongly held views expressed on both sides.
Over the last week, The Orcadian has heard concerns over the age-appropriateness of materials, the management of transgender issues, the legality over the roll-out, and fears that opposing viewpoints were being dismissed or rejected under the umbrella of inclusion.
In this week’s edition of The Orcadian, council leader Heather Woodbridge, deputy leader Sandy Cowie, convener Graham Bevan, education, communities and housing committee chairwoman Gwenda Shearer and vice-chairman Ivan Taylor, have put their names to a letter in support of the roll-out.
The letter signed by the five councillors said that they were aware of concerns within the community and sought to address them “openly, honestly, and respectfully”.
However, they claimed that the “misinformation” which has been circulating locally did not reflect what would be taught in schools across Scotland.
“In some cases, sadly, this information appears to have been designed to proactively create alarm, confusion and division rather than encourage informed and responsible discussion,” the letter said.
Sitting on the other side of the debate are councillors David Dawson and Stephen Clackson, who expressed their concerns at how the material was to be implemented and embedded throughout the curriculum.
Councillor Dawson raised his concern that, by focusing on LGBT issues, other areas of the curriculum may be “crowded out”.
He said he was worried “certain teachers” could use the initiative to “drive home their own agenda” at the expense of parental wishes.
The letter is printed in full below.
Supporting Inclusive Education in Orkney’s Schools
As Elected Members with responsibility for supporting the education and wellbeing of all children and young people in our community, we are aware that there are some members of our community who have questions and concerns about LGBT inclusive education.
We believe it is important that these concerns are addressed openly, honestly, and respectfully.
At the heart of this discussion is a simple principle: every child deserves to feel safe, respected and included in their school community. That is the aim of LGBT inclusive education within Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence. It is not a separate standalone subject, nor is it about promoting a particular lifestyle or viewpoint.
Rather, it is about supporting our young people to understand the diverse society in which we live and encouraging values such as kindness, respect, fairness and understanding.
One concern we have heard relates to what children will actually be taught in schools. We want to reassure parents, carers and the wider community that all learning materials used in our schools are carefully selected to be age and stage appropriate. This is a fundamental principle of Scottish education and one that our teachers take extremely seriously.
For younger children, learning may simply involve recognising that families come in different forms. As pupils grow older, discussions develop in line with their age and maturity, exploring wider issues such as equality, human rights and the importance of challenging prejudice and bullying. Our teachers are trained professionals who use national guidance and their professional judgement to ensure learning is suitable for the age and developmental stage of every child.
Unfortunately, we are aware that a significant amount of misleading information has been circulating locally. Much of this material does not accurately reflect what is taught in Scottish schools or the role of Time for Inclusive Education, the charity who provide resources to school across Scotland, whose materials are available online for parents and guardians to look at themselves.
In some cases, sadly, this information appears to have been designed to proactively create alarm, confusion and division rather than encourage informed and responsible discussion.
We would encourage anyone who has questions about LGBT inclusive education to seek information from reliable sources, read the available guidance for themselves, and speak directly with schools if they wish to understand more about what is taught locally. Public debate is healthy and important, but it should be based on facts and not misinformation.
As a community, we all want the best for Orkney’s children and young people. We want them to grow up in schools where they all feel valued, supported and able to achieve their full potential. Inclusive education helps create that environment by promoting mutual respect and ensuring that every child knows they belong.
We are confident that our schools will continue to approach these topics thoughtfully, professionally and in a way that reflects the age and stage of their pupils. We hope that by focusing on facts and listening to one another we can keep the inclusion, needs and wellbeing of all of our children and young people at the centre of a responsible and informed conversation.
Councillor Heather Woodbridge, council leader
Councillor Graham Bevan, council convener
Councillor Sandy Cowie, deputy leader
Councillor Gwenda Shearer, chairwoman, education, communities and housing committee
Councillor Ivan Taylor, vice-chairman, education, communities and housing committee
For more, see this week’s edition of The Orcadian, available in shops now and online.