Scotland sets an example, includes LGBTQ+ education in school curriculum

Most people frame their opinions during the budding years of life. In the process of learning and unlearning, schools play a crucial role. What a child studies in school, they carry it forward with them for the rest of encounters in life. However, if the school’s curriculum is not inclusive, it affects the overall development of students.

The current state of inclusivity

Unfortunately, very few educational institutes prepare their students with the grounds of sex education. In most countries, sex education is still treated as a taboo topic; and thus, it is not talked about openly in schools and other social places.

In schools where sex education is included school curriculum, it is mainly subjected to heterosexuality. Surrounding sex education and reproductive health only around heterosexuals excludes the LGBTQ+ community.

The negative implications of not including LGBTQ+ education in the school curriculum

There is a dire need to include comprehensive LGBTQ+ education in school curriculums. The school curriculum should include topics related to gender identity, sexual orientation and reproductive health, prejudices faced by certain categories, and the ways to battle it.

The biggest drawback of not including LGBTQ+ education in school is inefficient knowledge among the young generation. They assume that there is only heterosexuality that is the way of sexual orientation.

The school’s environment thus becomes homophobic in a way and results in bullying and discrimination against people who are homosexuals or transgender people. To fight the injustice that the queer community people go through, Scotland has taken a significant step towards better inclusivity, setting an example for the rest of the world.

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Scotland: the first country to include LGBTQ+ education in school curriculum

In a historic announcement, Scotland has announced to include queer community education in their school curriculum. With this announcement, Scotland has become the first country in the world to do so.

Under the new amendment, school staff would be given training inclusive of LGBTQ+ education; they would be provided with resources to study and gain a more nuanced perspective about people of all gender and sexual orientation.

The curriculum will now include subjects about gender identity, equality, sexual orientation, prejudices faced by homosexuals and transgender people, how to battle bullying and create a safe and healthy environment for people of the queer community.

Many reports have suggested that people in certain categories go through bullying during their budding years of life. People form the notion of heterosexuality as the only way of sexual orientation. People who do not adhere to their assigned sexual identity at birth or homosexuals are treated with discrimination.

Under the new structure, parents and caretakers would be provided with educational content regarding the queer community and how heterosexuals need to respect people of the queer community. In addition, the curriculum would help the students, teachers, and parents be more respectful and empathetic towards people of all sexual and gender orientations.

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Benefits of comprehensive sex education in schools

The inclusion of comprehensive sex education in the school curriculum helps build a more dynamic and respectful society for everyone. It also helps in promoting safer sexual practices, preventing unwanted pregnancies and protects from sexually transmitted diseases.

Because of prejudiced thinking against the people belonging to the queer community, homosexuals and transgender people go through mental trauma. Thus, being mindful of what is taught in schools and how children behave with each other would help in enhancing the well-being of people of all sexual orientations.

Not including LGBTQ+ people in sex education implies that their sexual orientation is not openly accepted and recognised. Thus, they are side-lined from being trained on sexual, health, and reproductive grounds.

The most significant benefit of comprehensive sex education would help people of all sexual orientations to come out and talk about their sexuality openly. That will create a warm and supportive school environment. As a result, the mental, physical and sexual traumas that people go through would be lesser, and they’d be able to feel more safe and secure in the school premises.

Bottom line

By announcing to include LGBTQ+ education in the school curriculum, Scotland has taken a significant step in the world economy. More countries should be inspired form Scotland’s decision. This will promote the people of the queer community to feel safer and secure in society.