Internet figures reveal demand for LGBT lesson resources for teachers
Thousands of teachers have been searching the internet for lesson plans to help them combat homophobic bullying in the classroom. The details were released by Schools Out, the organisation that campaigns for equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) people in education at its annual conference on Saturday.
The Conference took place as schools around the country are gearing up for LGBT History Month activities. Educators celebrate LGBT History month in February, to raise awareness of issues around homophobia in schools and to counter prejudice. The need for this initiative can be seen in the astonishing success of online materials (called The Classroom) produced by Schools Out for primary and secondary school teachers to use in their lessons, whatever the age group or subject being taught. Since The Classroom resources were launched three months ago the Schools Out website has been viewed over 22000 times, with over 4000 people visiting The Classroom pages of Schools Out in January alone, suggesting a huge demand for LGBT related resources. The lesson plans have also been shared on the Times Educational Supplement (TES) website, where they have attracted 2245 views and been downloaded over 340 times so far. As well as generating considerable interest in the UK, there have also been enquiries from the USA, and interestingly a large number of hits from China as well as many other countries.
The most popular resource so far is Elements of Disco, a Key Stage 4 music lesson designed by Elly Barnes, a London teacher who has pioneered LGBT-related curriculum work and now trains other teachers to do the same. The lesson uses clips from the film Priscilla Queen of the Desert. Elly Barnes, who is the Schools Representative for Schools Out said:
“This is a very positive response – teachers everywhere want to tackle homophobia in their classrooms and realise the importance of achieving this through the curriculum. Now teachers at all key stages in all subject areas have access to effective tried and tested resources for teachers”.
The school where Elly Barnes teaches, Stoke Newington School in Hackney, has been chosen by Ofsted as a model of good practice for the way that it tackles homophobic bullying through the curriculum. In a report released on Friday Ofsted said:
“Stoke Newington has a curriculum which meets the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students (LGBT) and extends all students’ understanding of diversity. Training for all staff, their commitment to equality and diversity and their approach to poor behaviour have successfully tackled homophobic language, attitudes and bullying.”
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