Merlin College has joined 12 other schools nationwide in being accredited by Belong To as a Safe & Supportive School for LGBTQ+ students. The schools received an award from the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Alison Gilliland, at an event in the Mansion House, Dublin, last week.
Merlin College signed up in 2020 to participate in a new national LGBTQ+ Safe & Supportive Schools (SASS ) project run by Belong To, LGBTQ+ Youth Ireland.
The Safe & Supportive Schools Project, designed and facilitated by Belong To, is a groundbreaking whole-school approach to creating a school environment that is fully inclusive of LGBTQ+ students. Spanning policy, curriculum, staff culture, school environment, student supports, and engagement with the local community, the Safe & Supportive Schools Project goes beyond awareness and ensures sustainable, systematic, change for LGBTQ+ youth.
Belong To's School Climate Survey (2019 ) indicates that a staggering 73 per cent of LGBTQ+ students feel unsafe at school, with one in three reporting that other students are unaccepting of LGBTQ+ identities. Positively, the research also found that LGBTQ+ students who witnessed staff intervene when homophobic remarks were made were 15 per cent more likely to feel that they belong in their school, and eight per cent less likely to miss school days due to feeling unsafe.
"These schools have set an inspiring example not just to your own students and school communities but to our education sector as a whole," Lord Mayor of Dublin, Alison Gilliland, said at the awards ceremony. "There is still so much work to be done in eradicating homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia in society including so much education and awareness raising with the school system. By creating a space in your schools where young people can feel truly safe and supported, you have been part of something very special."
On receiving the SASS accreditation award, Danielle O’Neill, SASS coordinator with Merlin College, said: "All of us in Merlin College are thrilled to have received the accreditation. The programme from start to finish was truly incredible. Some of the standouts for me were the training, the resources, and all of the amazing support. Knowing that there is an organisation that is advocating for the inclusion and rights of our young LGBTI+ people is both inspiring and necessary. As a result of this accreditation, Merlin College will forever be a safe and supportive environment for the LGBTI+ community."
