THE majority of LGBT teachers in Scotland are not “out” to the students in their school community and many have faced verbal homophobia, a new survey has found.
More than 100 teachers from the community in Scotland responded to a survey from LGBTQ+ Teachers Network (Scotland) and the results have been published to coincide with the end of Pride month.
It found that, of the 108 respondents, 58% had not come out as LGBT to their students while 42% had.
However, a majority (55%) said they had come out to the staff in the school. A further 32% said they had come out to “some” other staff members, while 13% said they had not told any staff or students.
One respondent said that “jokes that some staff think are funny but are offensive” was one of the reasons why people did not want to share their identity at work.
The survey also found that a significant minority (43%) said they had faced verbal homophobia or transphobia. Of these, 52% said they had reported an incident to either the police or senior management.
One in 20 (5%) of teachers said they had experienced violence or threats of violence due to their sexuality or perceived sexuality.
In 2021, Scotland became the first country in the world to embed LGBT inclusive education across the curriculum. LGBT teachers were asked in the survey if they felt their school had a “truly inclusive curriculum”, and a massive majority (79%) said it did not.
The survey also asked for opinions on a range of issues, compiling first-hand testament from teachers.
One said that they believed that "parental anxieties about whether it is appropriate for LGBT education in primary” sprung from a misunderstanding about “what LGBT education actually is”.
Another said that the curriculum should look to “embed LGBT scenarios/texts/history as part of the day-to-day curriculum so that it is not seen as different or an add on”.
One respondent claimed that some teachers would not “go near” an LGBT lesson, with another raising concerns that “some local authorities are stuck in the Stone Age”.
A third wrote: “There is a societal eye-roll at play in that most people believe inclusion has been achieved and they are over it/sick of hearing about it.”
They added: “This is disconcerting for the continued furtherance of LGBT inclusion.”
Elsewhere, 67% of people surveyed said they felt senior staff needed more training to better support not only LGBT students but LGBT staff.
John Naples-Campbell, from LGBTQ+ Teachers Network (Scotland), said: “This report is important, it gives us a moment in the profession that, 22 years after Section 28, it is still incredibly challenging for queer educators.
“I’m proud of the honesty in this report from the participants. Some of the comments are not easy to read and it’s clear we have pockets of excellence in councils across the country but it’s not happening for everyone.
“Teachers should be able to go to work and do their job without fear. That is a basic. I’ve devoted my whole life to creating safe classrooms for all students but that is now shifting towards creating the same safe spaces for staff too.
“As one participant said: ‘Accept people as people, try to understand the challenges that come with being part of the LGBT community and above all have compassion for all’.”
A total of 62% of respondents said they worked at secondary level, while 30% worked at primary, 2% in early years, and 7% in other educational settings.
