NSW Will Abandon The Safe Schools Program Once Federal Funding Expires
The reaction from the far right has been roughly as revolting as you'd expect.
The New South Wales government has confirmed that it will ditch the Safe Schools anti-bullying initiative once federal funding for the program expires at the end of June.
The government of NSW is celebrating cutting a program called “Safe Schools” which was designed to protect queer youth. Happy Easter.
— Brendan (@macleanbrendan) April 16, 2017
According to the Australian Associated Press, the scheme will be replaced by a broader anti-bullying program that will be available to teachers in term three.
“Bullying will never be accepted in NSW public schools – whether it be because someone is overweight, gay, based on the colour of their skin or for any other reason,” said NSW Education Minister Rob Stokes. “Students who are struggling in our schools, for whatever reason, need support and will continue to receive it.”
Designed to protect LGBTQ children from harassment while educating their teachers and students about sexual and gender diversity, Safe Schools has been labeled a vital resource by its supporters, but has attracted heavy criticism from conservatives. Ex-PM Tony Abbott and his former colleague Cory Bernardi have both described the program as a form of “social engineering”, while Liberal Nationals MP George Christensen likened it to paedophile “grooming” techniques.
In March last year, an independent review confirmed that Safe Schools was totally fine, at which point the Turnbull government announced that they were going to go ahead and gut it anyway. At the time, Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham said that “there was never an intention the program be funded beyond the current contract period” – hence the June expiry date.
The Victorian government has since pledged to continue funding the program even after federal money dries up. No such luck in NSW though.
The reaction to the news from the usual suspects on the right has been roughly as revolting as you’d expect. Tony Abbott tweeted his delight, while at the same time attempting to deflect from the fact that the program was rolled out under his watch.
Good that NSW is scrapping so called Safe Schools, a social engineering programme dressed up as anti-bullying. 1/2
— Tony Abbott (@TonyAbbottMHR) April 16, 2017
This was a Gillard govt programme, not – REPEAT NOT – an Abbott govt one. 2/2.
— Tony Abbott (@TonyAbbottMHR) April 16, 2017
@TonyAbbottMHR Calm down bro. No one is accusing you of introducing anything positive.
— JayLay (@occupy_now) April 16, 2017
Daily Telegraph columnist Miranda Devine also praised the decision, in an article declaring that Safe Schools was responsible for “an epidemic of ‘transgender’ children”.
Safe Schools was no anti-bullying program and its legacy is an epidemic of “transgender” children https://t.co/eeUQhzJfJE
— Miranda Devine (@mirandadevine) April 15, 2017
@mirandadevine@dailytelegraph epidemic? More like visibility and kids feeling seen, safe and heard. Nice work on winding back that clock
— Daniel McKinnon (@danielkiwa) April 16, 2017
Just how much consideration NSW’s new anti-bullying initiative will give to LGBTQ students remains to be seen. Still, that a journalist for one of the country’s most widely read newspapers feels comfortable comparing transgender kids to a disease is pretty telling. You might even say it’s exactly why programs like Safe Schools are so important in the first place.
cool stats in wake of Safe Schools defunding: 60%+ of LGBT people experience homophobic abuse & 80% of homophobic bullying occurs at school pic.twitter.com/rR49R5kyEx
— Allison Gallagher (@allisongallaghr) April 16, 2017
–
Feature image via Wikimedia.