Office of the Dean: Education

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Browsing Office of the Dean: Education by Subject "Bullying"

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    The attitude and experiences of high school learners on the teaching of LGBT content in a South African co-ed school
    (University of the Free State, 2016-01) Nichols, Henry James; Francis, D.
    English: Upon the ratification of the Constitution, the South African Schools Act of 1996 inaugurated a new education system that confronts all forms of unfair discrimination and intolerance. South African schools, however, remain heteronormative and heterosexist, where many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) learners or those who are perceived to conform to non-normative gender and sexual identities, experience heteronormativity and heterosexism daily. Schools and classrooms are spaces where compulsory heteronormative and gender-normative behaviour are tolerated and even promoted. It is in these ‘safe’ and ‘inclusive’ spaces that the LGBT youth encounters physical and emotional harassment. This research study explores high school learners’ attitudes towards, and experiences of the teaching and learning of LGBT issues, and argues that these attitudes and experiences yield rich insights into the possibility to work towards a school climate free of heteronormativity and heterosexism and to create a true ‘safe’ schooling space. Using a case study methodology, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eleven high school learners studying at a co-ed high school in the Gauteng province of South Africa. Findings reveal that high school learners have heteronormative and heterosexist attitudes towards sexual and gender diversity; that sexual and gender diversity is not taught in schools; due to a lack of knowledge, ignorance and stereotyping of gender and sexuality, and that exposure to sexual and gender diversity influences the attitudes of the youth. While the data demonstrates clear evidence of a culture of heteronormativity and heterosexism in high school spaces, it also shows that the youth realises the importance of the teaching and learning of sexuality and gender diversity and want to learn about it. I conclude by calling on schools to invest time in creating policies for safe classrooms and promote critical discussions regarding sexual and gender diversity issues. I also call on teachers to create learning environments where stereotypes and stigmatisations are challenged. Lastly, I acknowledge the limitations of the study.