Pride in Education

Sharma Faconti is a straight cisgender early years practitioner and an ally of the LGBTQ+ community. In this opinion piece she shares her feelings about the importance of LGBTQ+ in education.

As a person who works in child care and has worked with several LGBTQ+ families, I believe being inclusive in teaching ensures that LGBTQ+ children and young people, and children and young people with LGBTQ+ families, see themselves represented in what they learn. This will encourage all young people to grow up with inclusive and positive attitudes. In addition, non-LGBTQ+ children can learn how to become good allies to their peers as they get older.

Without inclusive education, so many young people feel isolated, unrepresented or even unwanted in school. They can feel as though their identity isn’t ‘normal ’if it’s not talked about. By including LGBTQ+ in education it opens up a positive discussion around these identities and creates a more welcoming and supportive environment for all to be comfortable in their school environment and they will learn better.

It sends a positive message and says that who you are is not abnormal, that you are ok and everyone else is ok. Everyone deserves to be valued and respected.

All young people should be given an equal opportunity to understand LGBTQ+ identities, regardless of their background or families. This is so important, because one of the main reasons for bullying in schools comes from students ‘lack of understanding.

It is important that education reflects the full diversity of the world to help prepare every young person for life in modern Britain. Our children and young people deserve to grow up knowing their rights and freedoms under the law, that they have an understanding and respect that enables them to understand themselves and those around them.

In my experience the UK has made some changes to be more inclusive but I think that there’s a lot more we could still do.

All pupils deserve a diverse education and I believe that education can help build a future where everyone is accepted and celebrated.

Education is important for everyone, and we all need to keep abreast of the latest pedagogy and development, that’s why I think the upcoming Pride in Education conference sponsored by @myGwork.com is an important event for everyone in education, particularly in the current situation when many people in the LGBTQ+ community have been feeling more isolated than ever.

I urge all educators and child care providers to take part in this conference which will include: panel discussions, knowledge sharing with live Q&As, presentations from researchers and academics, practical workshops covering curriculum design and content, wellbeing and self-care.

Full details of the conference can be found on the events listing.