Government awards £2 million to tackle homophobic bullying in schools

Eeight organisations will each get a share of a £2 million fund aimed at preventing and eradicating HBT (homophobic, biphobic, transphobic) bullying in schools, it has been announced.

The funding was first announced by Jo Swinson, Minister for Women and Equalities, and Secretary of State for Education, Nicky Morgan, in October 2014, and has now been divided up. Innovative new projects to train school staff, provide face-to-face support for young people and run a film competition on tackling HBT bullying will all receive funds.

The organisations awarded funding are:

• Anne Frank Trust – to run workshops and educate young people about prejudice and the impact of the Holocaust on lesbian, gay and bisexual people.
• Barnardo’s – to provide face-to-face support for victims of HBT bullying and training for staff with a focus on cultural issues in schools in Leeds and Wakefield.
• Diversity Role Models with Brook – to develop and deliver training on tackling HBT bullying to 10,000 teachers and staff in 400 schools.
• EACH – to deliver a training and resource programme in schools across Avon and Somerset.
• Educate and Celebrate – to train staff in 60 schools, giving them confidence and strategies to address HBT language and bullying and promote inclusiveness throughout the school environment and the curriculum.
• National Children’s Bureau – to train 1,500 teachers on tackling homophobia, biphobia and transphobia through PSHE.
• Show Racism the Red Card – to hold workshops with 2,000 young people at football clubs around England, train 200 teachers and run a film competition for young people on tackling HBT bullying.
• Stonewall – to extend and share its ‘train the trainer’ course with 60 partner organisations, enabling them to run the programme with schools in their local communities and giving them the skills to tackle HBT bullying.

55% of lesbian, gay and bisexual young people surveyed for Stonewall’s 2012 School Report said they had experienced homophobic bullying, down from 65% in 2009, yet in another of the charity’s reports last year 86% of secondary school teachers and 45% of primary school teachers said pupils at their school had experienced homophobic bullying, and most had heard homophobic language used. Teachers, meanwhile, say they lack the knowledge and confidence to tackle HBT bullying effectively.

HBT bullying in schools has emerged as a major LGBT issue in the forthcoming general election, with the Labour party setting out a detailed plan to tackle it if elected.