Educational issues

Every day, students around the world are denied the basic right to education because of bullying in school. Bullying particularly affects students who are perceived as not conforming to prevailing sexual and gender norms, including those who are believed to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT). On the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO), 17 May 2012, UNESCO Bangkok has produced a short film highlighting the challenges faced by LGBT students and practical steps that have been taken in schools in Thailand to promote healthy, safe learning environments for all.

In 2012, Global Alliance for LGBT Education (GALE) published a guide to advocate for sexual diversity education. The guide is a 40 page brochure, which offers guidelines on how to analyse the education context in your country, and helps advocacy organisations to make informed decisions on what national strategy would be most helpful to make education more inclusive for LGBT people.

2012, 72 pages

Diversity in School offers training on gender, sexuality, and ethnic (race) relations for teaching professionals. Reducing discrimination by improving understanding of gender, sexual, ethnic and racial diversity is of central importance to the creation of a positive school learning environment.

This English language abridged version includes four modules. Topics addressed include cultural diversity and ethnocentrism; gender diversity; sexuality and sexual orientation; and ethnic inequality. The first introductory module familiarizes the reader with diversity as a core concept. Each of the following modules is divided into three sections. The first section introduces a general concept; the second one addresses that concept in
the school environment, and the third section provides classroom activities to share Diversity in School with students.

This 64-page publication from 2012 is part of a Good Policy and Practice series that addresses key themes of UNESCO’s work with the education sector including HIV and AIDS and safe, healthy educational environments for all learners.

The volume of good policies and practices fills a need that teachers, administrators, policy makers, and other education stakeholders have, by providing practical guidance on how to respond to homophobic bullying to make education safer.

There are many challenges involved in addressing homophobic bullying, especially in contexts where homosexuality is a sensitive issue or is illegal. However, there are entry points, such as policies and interventions that address violence and bullying in educational settings, which provide opportunities to address homophobic bullying.

The examples put forth come from a wide range of global contexts demonstrating that it is possible to address homophobic bullying in and through schools everywhere.

2016, 60 pages

Violence in schools and other educational settings is a global problem, and students who are perceived not to conform to prevailing sexual and gender norms, including those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex (LGBTI), are more vulnerable.

This global report from UNESCO focuses on the nature, scope and impact of violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity/expression in educational settings, and of current actions. It provides education-sector stakeholders with a framework for planning and implementing effective responses to this type of school-related gender-based violence, as part of wider efforts to prevent and address violence in schools.