Lobby says WA still needs working party on school homophobia

Lobby says WA still needs working party on school homophobia

Minister needs expert advice on policies, programs in schools

30 May 2005

Gay and Lesbian Equality (WA) Inc. has again called on WA Education Minister Ljiljanna Ravlich to set up a working party to specifically to devise and implement a plan to eliminate homophobic violence, bullying and prejudice in WA's schools.

GALE has repeated a call for the expert working party despite media reports indicating that the Minister has set up a working party to tackle bullying in schools generally.

GALE says the Minister still needs to set up a specific working party to tackle homophobia in schools as the issue of homophobia is not just about ending endemic bullying, but also about the implementation of policy and measures to reduce the culture of homophobia in schools in the future.

GALE Convenor Rod Swift says Western Australia needs to follow the lead of states like Tasmania, where a ministerial advisory committee has been permanently established to tackle homophobia.

"Tackling homophobia doesn't just involve stopping schoolyard bullying.  It also requires setting up a framework to eliminate homophobic behaviour and attitudes in schools," Mr Swift said.

"Failure to deal with the root cause of homophobia and only dealing with the result is effectively a band-aid measure.  This is why GALE believes the minister needs a specific advisory working party to make recommendations on how to eliminate the underlying cause of homophobia in schools."

"This includes strong departmental leadership and policy to eliminate homophobia, and the implementation of diversity programs in school curricula to educate students on why homophobia is wrong."

GALE has called on the WA Government to set up a working party on homophobia in the wake of the release in mid-May of a report by the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society (ARCSHS) at La Trobe University into school homophobia.

This report found that homophobia in Australian schools was endemic, with 74 per cent of same-sex attracted students reporting verbal or physical abuse at school.  The report also found students rarely confide in teachers.

MEDIA COMMENT:

Rod Swift GALE Convenor 0417 890 111

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