About

On 19 April 2017 the Scottish Government, in conjunction with Time For Inclusive Education, announced the LGBTI Inclusive Education Working Group. This Group comprised of LGBT groups and other representative organisations to take forward the Scottish Government’s commitment to work towards LGBT inclusive education. The Working Group concluded in 2018 delivering 33 recommendations, which were accepted in full by the Scottish Ministers. This would make Scotland the first country in the world to advance LGBT inclusive education in all Scottish schools.

LGBT Inclusive Education is a term referring to an approach of including themes related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people across Scotland’s Curriculum, through ordinary teaching and learning.

In Scotland, a thematic approach is taken to support teachers to develop their own curriculum materials in this area, and facilitates teaching and learning about prejudice and discrimination, diverse families, past and present LGBT figures, the history of LGBT equality movements, and rights – including understanding the Equality Act (2010). The learning is relevant to the curriculum or subject area: for example, the equal rights movement in Social Studies, or prejudice and stereotypes in Health and Wellbeing.

The purpose of this is to support schools to take a proactive approach to addressing the stereotypes and stigma which can often lead to prejudice or bullying experienced by pupils who are LGBT, perceived or thought to be by others, or have LGBT family members (such as same-sex parents). The approach is to include LGBT related learning themes in ordinary teaching, in a natural and meaningful way, in order to prevent stereotypes and stigma from arising in the first place.

Through creation of new resources, training opportunities, and whole school approaches the LGBT Inclusive Education Implementation Group has built on the positive work already being undertaken by many schools across the country to increase inclusion and knowledge of LGBT people and themes; while also recognising and seeking to address ongoing issues around lack of LGBT representation in the Scottish curriculum and the need for more support for LGBT learners.

lgbteducation.scot is a new platform, intended to support teachers across Scotland to tackle prejudice through education. The platform is managed by Time For Inclusive Education on behalf of the Scottish Government, and is endorsed by a variety of stakeholders, including those in the education sector.

This platform hosts the Stage 1 E-Learning module from the Scottish Government’s “Delivering LGBT Inclusive Education” professional learning for teachers (Stage 2 can be booked upon completion) and quality approved Curriculum for Excellence linked resources to support staff in developing and delivering LGBT inclusive education in their own schools.

lgbteducation.scot is a critical platform for teachers delivering LGBT inclusive education in Scotland. It is intended as an evolving ‘one stop shop’ for professional learning opportunities, quality approved resources linked to Curriculum for Excellence, national policy, and signposting.