Supporting diversity and inclusion in school

Promoting diversity and inclusion is crucial in the school environment. We’ve looked into some of the current initiatives, covering students with disability, LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender and intersex) students, and gender inclusion and balance.

If you have any other examples, let us know via email. We’re keen to hear about programs across the country, both in schools and tertiary institutions, and workplaces.

Students with disability

The government’s MySchool website will soon include information about the level of disability inclusion at schools. The update comes after a Senate inquiry into students with disability found that the Australian school system is ‘failing children with disability’. The report noted many barriers faced by students, including exclusion from school activities; a lack of resources and support; the need for further training for teachers; insufficient funding for schools; and difficulties accessing education, with some parents being unofficially discouraged from enrolling their child at certain schools.

In Victoria, students with disability have access to a range of resources as they undertake important schooling transitions. This includes the transition from kindergarten to school, from Year 6 to Year 7, and from school to post-school pathways. The latter, Strengthened Pathways Planning for Young People with Disabilities, provides vital information for teachers, carers and parents.

LGBTI students

The Safe Schools Coalition works hard to create a safe and inclusive environment for gender-diverse students, staff and families. It also provides a range of resources to assist schools and students, such as guides to gender-inclusive school formals and uniform policies, and offers tailored professional development as well as student and staff surveys to provide clearer insight into individual schools’ climate.

A number of states have published their own guidelines for sexual and gender diversity in schools. In Western Australia, the Equal Opportunity Commission’s Guidelines for Supporting Sexuality and Gender Diversity in Schools assist schools to address bullying related to sexuality and gender diversity. Similarly, the Tasmanian Department of Education’s Guidelines for Supporting Sexual and Gender Diversity in Schools and Colleges help ensure LGBTI students are included and supported in their education, while the Queensland Department of Education and Training provides information for principals about being inclusive of gender diverse students.

Schools in Victoria will soon be required to follow new guidelines related to transgender students in sport. The guidelines are aimed at increasing participation among transgender students and minimising discrimination, with schools encouraged to organise non-gendered sports activities and teams where possible.

Gender inclusion and balance

The Women in Engineering Camp at the University of New South Wales, Robogals and Go Girl, Go For IT are all designed to increase female participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) areas, which have traditionally been male-dominated fields of work and study. There are also a number of scholarships for female students looking to study in these fields, offered by universities, industry bodies, government departments and the corporate sector.

Meanwhile, a number of schools have implemented their own policies to encourage participation and optimise learning for each gender. In Victoria, Haileybury College’s Parallel Education program sees boys and girls attend the same campus but learn in single-sex classes from Year 5, while Mentone Grammar implements a Together-Apart-Together model that sees students learn in single-sex classes during the middle years (Years 5 to 9). Barker College in New South Wales admits girls from Year 10 onwards.

A school subject addressing gender inequality was launched at Fitzroy High School in 2015. Generated by students frustrated by the effects of gender discrimination, the subject is fully accredited by the Australian Curriculum.