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| Troye Sivan, Guy Pearce and Missy Higgins push for Safe Schools replacement | Troye Sivan, Guy Pearce and Missy Higgins push for Safe Schools replacement |
| (2 days later) | |
| A group of Australian celebrities including a pop star, Troye Sivan, has called for a new national anti-bullying program with a LGBTI focus to replace Safe Schools. | A group of Australian celebrities including a pop star, Troye Sivan, has called for a new national anti-bullying program with a LGBTI focus to replace Safe Schools. |
| In a letter to Malcolm Turnbull the prominent Australians argue that Safe Schools has become “highly politicised and controversial” but LGBTI youth still need a program with sexuality and gender at its core owing to higher rates of suicide and bullying. | In a letter to Malcolm Turnbull the prominent Australians argue that Safe Schools has become “highly politicised and controversial” but LGBTI youth still need a program with sexuality and gender at its core owing to higher rates of suicide and bullying. |
| Signatories include the singer-songwriter Missy Higgins, the comedian Joel Creasey, the author and former newsreader Tracey Spicer and the actor Guy Pearce. | Signatories include the singer-songwriter Missy Higgins, the comedian Joel Creasey, the author and former newsreader Tracey Spicer and the actor Guy Pearce. |
| “We wish not for controversy but for a program with a goal that everyone can agree on: an end to bullying and domestic violence in Australia,” the letter said. | “We wish not for controversy but for a program with a goal that everyone can agree on: an end to bullying and domestic violence in Australia,” the letter said. |
| The activists said the new program should not be one “that seeks approval of the way certain members of our society live” but rather “only mutual respect and tolerance”. | The activists said the new program should not be one “that seeks approval of the way certain members of our society live” but rather “only mutual respect and tolerance”. |
| The letter calls for a program that teaches students not to bully others based on religion, race, gender, sexuality, faith, disability, skin conditions, social standing or political persuasions. | The letter calls for a program that teaches students not to bully others based on religion, race, gender, sexuality, faith, disability, skin conditions, social standing or political persuasions. |
| But tolerance and respect of LGBTI people should be at the program’s core because gay teens are 14 times more likely to take their own lives in Australia, it said. | But tolerance and respect of LGBTI people should be at the program’s core because gay teens are 14 times more likely to take their own lives in Australia, it said. |
| Sivan’s mother, Laurelle Mellet, said he had told his parents he was gay at age 14. “It made me nervous – I’d heard horrific stories of homophobic bullying and kids being suicidal at school,” she said. | Sivan’s mother, Laurelle Mellet, said he had told his parents he was gay at age 14. “It made me nervous – I’d heard horrific stories of homophobic bullying and kids being suicidal at school,” she said. |
| “What’s worse is our education system won’t fight it – Malcolm Turnbull hasn’t renewed Safe Schools funding. | “What’s worse is our education system won’t fight it – Malcolm Turnbull hasn’t renewed Safe Schools funding. |
| “To exclude anti-LGBTQI bullying programs from schools is beyond cruel. I’d like to think all parents would fight for a system that makes their child feel safe, not worthless.” | “To exclude anti-LGBTQI bullying programs from schools is beyond cruel. I’d like to think all parents would fight for a system that makes their child feel safe, not worthless.” |
| Sivan said in Australian schools thousands of kids were bullied on a daily basis because of their sexuality, as well as other attributes including social standing, skin conditions or disabilities. | Sivan said in Australian schools thousands of kids were bullied on a daily basis because of their sexuality, as well as other attributes including social standing, skin conditions or disabilities. |
| “That’s why I’m getting behind a new push in the form of a letter to the Australian prime minister to roll out a national anti-bullying, anti-violence program in schools across Australia where students are taught to respect and tolerate those who are like me,” he said. | “That’s why I’m getting behind a new push in the form of a letter to the Australian prime minister to roll out a national anti-bullying, anti-violence program in schools across Australia where students are taught to respect and tolerate those who are like me,” he said. |
| The Safe Schools program has been targeted by conservative critics who claim it promotes gender fluidity rather than simply teaching tolerance of sexual diversity. | The Safe Schools program has been targeted by conservative critics who claim it promotes gender fluidity rather than simply teaching tolerance of sexual diversity. |
| In 2016 the program was overhauled after a review by the Turnbull government, including reducing the lesson content, removing all links to external material and sites, and adding a requirement that students get parental consent and schools get parent-body consent before opting to use its materials. | |
| Safe Schools faces an uncertain future when its federal funding expires in some states mid-year. New South Wales announced it would scrap the program and replace it with a new anti-bullying strategy. | Safe Schools faces an uncertain future when its federal funding expires in some states mid-year. New South Wales announced it would scrap the program and replace it with a new anti-bullying strategy. |
| Victoria will continue to fund Safe Schools and moved out of the national coalition to exempt its program from content cuts. Western Australian Labor was elected on a platform to fund Safe Schools, and the Queensland Labor government has no plans to discontinue it. | |
| The celebrities called for the new anti-bullying program’s curriculum to be set by education experts, paediatricians, psychologists and criminologists, and for its content to be reviewed every two years by a board appointed by the education minister but independent from government. | The celebrities called for the new anti-bullying program’s curriculum to be set by education experts, paediatricians, psychologists and criminologists, and for its content to be reviewed every two years by a board appointed by the education minister but independent from government. |
| The letter called for a program that simultaneously targets homophobia and domestic violence, an approach adopted in the US, by citing research that the majority of male-to-male bullying is homophobic and “such bullies often become perpetrators of domestic violence later on in their adult lives”. | The letter called for a program that simultaneously targets homophobia and domestic violence, an approach adopted in the US, by citing research that the majority of male-to-male bullying is homophobic and “such bullies often become perpetrators of domestic violence later on in their adult lives”. |
| The group asked Turnbull to match Labor’s $6m election commitment to Safe Schools by setting aside a similar amount for a new program in the 9 May budget. | The group asked Turnbull to match Labor’s $6m election commitment to Safe Schools by setting aside a similar amount for a new program in the 9 May budget. |