Teacher-training to tackle homophobia wins £214k funding
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A training and resource programme for teachers aimed at eradicating homophobia, transphobia and biphobia in schools has been awarded £214,000 by the Department for Education – part of a £2m funding boost for similar projects across the country.
The national ‘Educate & Celebrate’ team includes Dr Anna Carlile from the Department of Educational Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London.
Dr Carlile will be part of the steering group, conducting evaluative interviews before and after the project.
Her approach draws on youth voices to develop questionnaires which the team will use to assess the success of the project. Data drawn from the project will also feed into a book Dr Carlile is preparing with Professor Carrie Paechter about LGBT-parented families and schools.
Educate & Celebrate is led by Elly Barnes, who was voted No. 1 in The Independent on Sunday's Pink List 2011 for her commitment to making schools LGBT+Friendly.
Educate & Celebrate gives teachers the confidence and resources to challenge homophobia, biphobia and transphobia by engaging students, staff, parents and governors in an inclusive LGBT+ curriculum.
The ‘Educate & Celebrate’ programme is available to all schools, local authorities and workplaces to change ingrained attitudes and eradicate bullying, in line with Ofsted criteria and The Equality Act 2010.
Elly comments: “I am really proud of how the programme has developed and has been welcomed by so many schools since founding it in 2010. I am incredibly excited about how much more we will be able to achieve following our successful bid.”
Dr Anna Carlile researches and teaches on social justice, youth voice, inclusion, social policy, behaviour management, and special educational needs. Having joined Goldsmiths in September 2008, she is now Head of the BA Education, Culture and Society.
Anna works collaboratively with school professionals, community organisations, and young people, seeking to address issues of institutional prejudice on the basis of race and ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and class.