The AEU National Conference passed a motion praising the Safe Schools Coalition for their important and ground breaking work in helping students, school staff and their school communities understand gender and sexual diversity.
Australian Education Union - 2016 Annual Federal Conference
Safe Schools Coalition Resolution
AEU Federal Conference congratulates and supports the Safe Schools Coalition for their important and ground breaking work in helping students, school staff and their school communities understand gender and sexual diversity. Conference condemns the Turnbull government for undertaking a review of the work of Safe Schools Coalition and sees this decision as a direct capitulation to the conservative and ignorant voices in the parliament and broader community who seek to demonise their work and young LGBTIQ people. Conference calls on the Prime Minister to reverse his decision to review the work of Safe Schools Coalition.
Conference is heartened by the strong public response in support of SSC and our LGBTIQ students, including the Federal Leader of the Opposition and Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, the Federal AEU and Branches and Associated Bodies, many AEU members across all sectors, parents and some media commentators. These voices must continue to be heard to counter the ignorant and prejudiced voices who seek to influence the content of the curriculum we teach in our schools.
Conference notes that the ‘All of Us’ curriculum resource promotes better understanding and tolerance of diversity in our schools, something all in our community should aspire to regardless of their political, religious or social views. In addition it is our profession, our members who should be making the decisions at the local level, within the context of their school community, as to what and how curriculum content should be delivered and to what age groups.
Conference reiterates its support for the LGBTIQ students in all our education sectors and is dismayed at the complete disregard some in our community pay to their health and wellbeing in this damaging and intolerant debate.
Conference calls on:
The Federal Office to:
- Write to Prime Minister Turnbull demanding he reverse his decision to review the work of Safe Schools Coalition;
- Convene a teleconference of the national LGBTIQ working party in the next month to consider the responses to the actions taken by the AEU and to consider any recommendations for further action;
- Distribute the megaphone petition to all Branches and Associated Bodies;
AEU Branches and Associated Bodies to:
- Write to their Premiers/Chief Ministers calling on them to publicly support the work of SSC and those schools who are implementing this curriculum and to ask them to raise this matter with the Federal government urgently;
- Promote the megaphone petition to all members;
- Include material in their publications highlighting the work of Safe Schools Coalition;
- Pledge their support as Official "Supporter Organisations" of Safe Schools Coalition, if they have not already done so;
- Consider including training opportunities for members, in partnership with Safe Schools Coalition;
- Communicate with schools, as practical, to reaffirm their support of the schools that are implementing the safe schools program or other similar programs that acknowledge issues and support for LGBTIQ teachers and students in schools.
