Province introduces new school program to combat bullying of gays

By Mitchell Clarke

Newfoundland and Labrador is setting an example for schools across Canada with a new program aimed at protecting students from bullying and misunderstandings regardless of their sexual orientation.

The program is called My Gay-Straight Alliance and will be available for students from Grade 7 to the senior year of high school. A similar program does exist in Ontario. However, it is available for only high school students. Newfoundland and Labrador is the first province to include junior high schools in such a program.

My Gay-Straight Alliance is funded through the provincial government’s Violence Prevention Initiative and the Department of Education. The goal of My Gay-Straight Alliance is to make students more accepting of those who are gay. As well, the program will provide methods for teachers, guidance counsellors and principals to deal with bullying towards gay students.

Through this program, the provincial government hopes to ensure that every student is respected and accepted for who they are. Clyde Jackman, the minster of Education, looks forward to the program being started in this spring. Jackman says students need someone they can talk to and with whom they can be open about their sexual orientation.

“I’m the minster of Education for children 0 to Grade 12, and I want no student to find themself where they can’t talk to a guidance counsellor or a teacher about this issue. We have a safe and caring school program, and in that it says all students should feel safe and cared for in our schools. This is another step to ensure that all – that’s the important word -all of our students are supported in the education system.”

Jackman talked about his own experience as a principal and how important it is for students and staff to have a leader who can really understand and talk about issues any student may face. While this program is available for all schools, Jackman said it is impossible to mandate understanding. However, this program is available to schools that feel they need it.

“The idea of doing this,  is not so much an idea as it we have students who are struggling in our system with their sexual orientation, we have students in our schools who struggle with being bullied on a bus, we have students in our schools who are struggling with math. If we were living in the ideal world, this should be any different than any of those types of issues.”

JoAnn O’Brien, the guidance counsellor for St. James Regional High School in Channel Port aux Basques, feels that a program such as  this one will benefit students and staff members throughout the province.

“It’s great, an excellent program. We did have a fair interest in the last number of years, but right now we don’t have enough student (involvement) to have a group formed.”

St. James Regional High had a student-led organization to aid in bridging the gap. The organization, called Queer-Straight Alliance, was founded by a former student of the high school, who has since graduated. O’Brien says that currently there isn’t enough need, so Safe and Caring Schools is currently the only group available for gay students at St. James.

If this program goes well, then maybe school will at least be a tolerable time for all students.