Congratulations to Pembina Hills Public Schools (PHPS) on recognizing that there needs to be more done in regards of helping minority students, especially those in the First Nations, Metis and Inuit (FNMI) and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) communities.
Last week, PHPS held the first of its Professional Development Days, all of which focused on student and staff diversity and inclusive education.
A student’s Kindergarten through Grade 12 career is difficult enough, but being a member of a minority group can make it that much more so, so kudos.
It is especially impressive when considering how vocal some of the opposition has been in the Barrhead area. Not regarding FNMI students. The public has come to understand how governments and society as a whole have treated our country’s indigenous peoples and realize that government and society has to step up in an effort to heal peoples impacted by our past wrongs.
But the same can’t be said about our LGBTQ populations.
Here at the Barrhead Leader, a number of phone calls and letters were received, against Bill 10, which states that schools must help students establish a gay-straight alliance group, if so requested.
We also received the same complaints against the current government’s requirement for school boards to create specific LGBTQ policies that protect LGTBQ students, staff and family members and submit them to the Education Ministry. Note that the Leader publishes these letters as long as they fit into our publishing guidelines.
However, regardless of whether you are for or against Bill 10 or the provincial requirement that states all school boards must have specific LGBTQ policies, it is clear that many of the students who identify themselves as sexual orientation or gender identity minorities need help.
The statistics are truly appalling.
According to an Egale Canada Human Rights Trust’s survey on homophobia and transphobia in Canadian schools, one out of five LGBTQ students experience bullying every day.
That is bad enough, but when you consider that 44 per cent of LGBTQ students have suicidal thoughts (according to statistics presented by Andrea Berg of the Alberta Teacher’s Association) this group of students need more supports.
So once again, congratulations to PHPS for their efforts to recognize the diversity of its students and to make sure no student or staff member is marginalized because they are in a minority.
