South African Schools Asked to Compile List of LGBT+ Students

Teachers in South African schools were told to name and send a list of their LGBT+ students to the government reports City News.

Schools across the Eastern Cape province received an email on October 16 from the special programmes unit (SPU) which told them they had to submit a list of queer students names by the end of the day.

The email stated they were “conducting a workshop to raise awareness on the rights of the LGBTI community and to ensure that their lives, morals and integrity are respected.

“This will allow the district office to have a database of these learners and 10 of these learners will be attending the scheduled workshop.”

The education spokesperson for South Africa’s opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, wrote a statement condemning the email.

“(This is) discriminatory, unconstitutional and may lead to verbal, mental and even physical abuse,” wrote Edmund van Vuuren.

“In a climate where ‘corrective rape’ and assault based on sexual preference are commonplace, we cannot afford to expose members of this community to further risk and discrimination.”

Eastern Cape Department of Education spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima has claimed the email was sent without permission and has denied the government is compiling a database of LGBT+ South Africans: “There is no activity or instruction to district coordinators to create a database for the LGBTI group.”

Keep up to date with the latest myGnews

LGBT professionals, LGBT Graduates, LGBT professional network, LGBT professional events, LGBT networking events, LGBT Recruitment, LGBT Friendly organisations, LGBT Friendly companies, LGBT jobs