Merlin College and Coláiste Bhaile Chláir have become the first schools in Galway to sign up to participate in a new initiative aimed at creating a school environment fully inclusive of LGBTI+ students.
With a recent statistic showing that 73 per cent of second-level Irish LGBTI+ students feel unsafe at school, Merlin College and Coláiste Bhaile Chláir's participation in the national LGBTI+ Safe & Supportive Schools Project, in partnership with BeLonGTo Youth Services, is timely and appropriate. The schools join 20 others across the State in being the first to take up this initiative.
.
Students and staff launching the LGBTI+ Safe & Supportive Schools Project at Coláiste Bhaile Chláir.
The statistic comes from BeLonG To Youth Services' Schools Climate Survey 2019. It also found that 68 per cent of LGBTI+ students hear anti-LGBTI+ remarks from other students; 48 per cent reported hearing homophobic remarks; and a further 55 per cent reported hearing transphobic remarks from teachers and staff members.
'In adopting this programme, we can create an environment in which LGBTI+ feel safe and supported by all of our staff and their classmates'
BeLonG To Youth Services' Safe & Supportive Schools Project creates a safe space for Galway LGBTI+ students through six key areas: staff organisation and development; policy and planning; curriculum; safe and supportive environment; community partnership; and direct support to young people. BeLonG To provides programme coordination training for senior management and LGBTI+ awareness training for staff members; and a toolkit and resource pack with everything needed to become an accredited school.
.
“All schools should prioritise the safety and wellbeing of LGBTI+ students," said John Cleary, principal of Merlin College. "We hope that in adopting this programme, we can create an environment in which LGBTI+ feel safe and supported by all of our staff and their classmates. This is a very positive endeavour and we are delighted to be a part of it in a very meaningful way as it helps us all in our school community to live up to our mantra which is ‘Merlin College: Where nobody is different because everybody is!”
'Our school years help to shape who we are and who we can become'
Alan Mongey, principal of Coláiste Bhaile Chláir said: “All schools should prioritise the safety and wellbeing of LGBTI+ students. We hope that in adopting this programme we can continue to create an environment in which LGBTI+ feel safe and supported by all of our staff and their classmates.”
.
“Our school years help to shape who we are and who we can become," said Moninne Griffith CEO, BeLonG To Youth Services. "We are proud to support Merlin College and Coláiste Bhaile Chláir as they begin their journey towards becoming schools that are fully inclusive of LGBTI+ students. We celebrate Merlin College and Coláiste Bhaile Chláir for taking the lead and joining our new national project to ensure school is a safe and supportive space."
