NL Education Minister on LGBT Issues
The Honourable Susan Sullivan was born and raised in Grand Falls-Windsor. Prior to entering provincial politics in 2007, she had a 30 year teaching career, in addition to serving as Deputy Mayor of Grand Falls-Windsor and other roles with local organizations and committees.
Minister Sullivan has provided guidance as a Minister in a variety of portfolios since being elected. Currently she serves as the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development; Minister Responsible for the Status of Women; Minister Responsible for the Government Purchasing Agency; Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs and as the Member for the District of Grand Falls-Windsor - Buchans.
Q: What are some strides this government has made to counter bullying in schools?
A: Our government has made significant strides to counter bullying in schools over the past number of years and I have to say I am really proud of the work that has been done. As much as we would like to flick a switch and stop bullying, I can tell you from my 30 years spent in the classroom that it doesn’t work that way. We have to work with the community as a whole and take a multi-faceted approach to ultimately change people’s behaviours and attitudes.
We support a number of non-governmental organizations, such as Roots of Empathy, that have mandates to reducing bullying while raising social and emotional competence. These programs are incredibly effective and have had a tremendous impact.
In addition to that, just a couple of years ago in 2013, the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development revised the Safe and Caring Schools Policy. This policy provides schools with the direction they need to consistently address bullying behaviours across the K-12 system.
For example, the Safe and Caring Schools Policy includes a Code of Conduct template which helps a school define student behavioural expectations and appropriate consequences for inappropriate student behaviour. It also includes a Bullying Intervention Protocol that gives clear direction to educators on how to respond to incidents of bullying.
As well, the policy addresses social and emotional learning and digital citizenship. This means that – through the curriculum and school groups, teams and committees – students will learn how to get along, work together and be respectful of one another. They’ll learn to be accepting and inclusive, no matter what differences they may have, and to treat each other respectfully, both in person and online.
Q: What are some programs and measures that are in place in schools to address the needs of LGBT people and families? A: We’re doing a number of things to support the needs of LGBT students and their families. Just to take a step back, in 2011, Egale Canada funded the first national climate survey on homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia in Canadian schools. Schools in our province participated in this research and it was incredibly valuable. We discovered that students in our schools were impacted by the homophobic comments and behaviours expressed around them. We heard this from both straight and LGBT students. As a government, we believe very strongly this is unacceptable and that something had to be done. We felt that the best way to bring about change was to educate the educators first.
“On a go forward basis we are also allocating space for at least one gender neutral washroom in our new school construction design.”
And so, province-wide awareness training was provided for K-12 program staff within the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development and the school districts. This was followed by similar awareness sessions for every principal, vice-principal and guidance counsellor in the province.
Building on this, the department is partnering with the school districts to provide further training for teachers, which began this past June and will continue this coming fall. This training is accompanied by webinars, lesson plans and e-resources. It guides educators through the basics of LGBT definitions and addresses advanced issues such as barriers to access and transitioning in school. The Department is also in the final stages of planning for professional learning for educators to assist them with understanding and supporting students who are transitioning. We have also provided to all schools with grades 7-12, the MyGSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) resource – an Equity and Inclusive Education Resource Kit for educators.
Probably the most recent example of the department responding to the needs of LGBT people and families would be the gender neutral washrooms at The Murphy Centre. The need for this type of washroom at The Murphy Centre was brought to our attention and we responded to that need. Construction is well underway and we expect the work to be complete by this fall. On a go forward basis we are also allocating space for at least one gender neutral washroom in our new school construction design.
The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development supported the provincial student Gay –Straight Alliance conference held in Corner Brook in 2014 and I am very proud to say we will be supporting Corner Brook Regional High School with its plans to host the next student conference in 2016. Egale Canada has acknowledged that Newfoundland and Labrador has taken a leadership role in addressing issues around gender identity, sexual orientation and homophobia. Building awareness and having the conversation is the first step to changing a culture. I believe that the Provincial Government has been leading the way for LGBT inclusive practices both in the province, and the country and I am very proud of our work in this area.
Q: Would the government be open to introducing an LGBT movement history curriculum in schools?
A: Our government is always open to discussing how to improve and update our curriculum to make it relevant to students. When we design curriculum, there are a number of factors at play. Presently we are focused on educating all students about LGBT topics such as acceptance, and diversity The inclusion of the LGBT movement in the history curriculum is an idea that could be considered as we move forward with our current and future goals.
I think it is also important to note the MyGSA NL: Equity and Inclusive Education Resource Kit, which I touched on earlier, has a section on role models. This section includes profiles of a number of people who are active locally and nationally, or who have made a contribution to LGBT history, or who are well-known personalities. Many of these individuals have links to this province.
Q: Will the government be introducing exposure to LGBT families in curriculum material at the elementary level?
A: Yes, we are planning to expand the curriculum coverage of LGBT related topics. Approximately four years ago we began a renewal of the K-6 Health curriculum. We started at Kindergarten and Grade 1. The primary grades are where we begin to talk about family diversity, which includes same-sex parents. Our intention is to normalize different family structures. As we develop and implement Grades 4-6 Health we will continue to expand LGBT related examples and topics.
Other health courses taught in grades 7 to 9 discuss related areas such as relationships, expressing sexual feelings, and sexual orientation.
Q: Where do you think we could improve when it comes to quality of education?
A: The education system is very dynamic and constantly changing because society changes and students change. As a result, the way we deliver education changes as well. I don’t think we can ever stop trying to improve our education system. In order to deliver a quality education, it has to remain relevant, technologies need to be current and teachers need to continue to have the opportunity for professional development. The challenge is to find the right balance so that when students leave high school they are prepared and empowered for their next steps in life, whether that means continuing their studies at a post-secondary institution, or entering the workforce. The best way to provide quality education is to be adaptive to the needs of our students and the changing world around us.
Q: What do you think the biggest challenge facing new graduates from this province is today?
A: Every class of graduates, regardless of the year, are faced with similar challenges and questions – what is the best career path for me, and how do I go about making that a reality?
It may sound like a cliché, but if a young adult is willing to put in the hard work, their opportunities will be limitless.
While this province is facing some fiscal challenges due to the decline in oil and other natural resource prices, Newfoundland and Labrador has a very bright future. For every challenge today, the door will be opened to a new opportunity tomorrow. Students of today and in the generations to come will continue to make this province great.
To ensure students are aware of future opportunities, we have a mandatory career education course in our schools. Our department and the Department of Advanced Education and Skills are working with our partners in Atlantic Canada to further enhance programming so that students are very aware of their options after graduation.
Additionally, we are preparing our students through our world-class post-secondary institutions. They are graduating as highly-skilled individuals who have the ability to use their talents in any job market in the world.
Q: What are some projects in the works that we can look forward to?
A: There is a lot to look forward to. The Provincial Government has a multi-year education infrastructure development plan for K-12 schools to proactively prepare for infrastructure needs. We have eleven new schools that are in various stages of planning or construction and 13 schools are in different stages of major extension and renovations.
Since 2004, 14 new schools have been opened and we have completed 27 major extension and renovation projects on schools throughout the province. There have also been over 1,930 repairs and maintenance projects approved. Overall, our government has allocated more than $731 million in K-12 infrastructure since 2004 and all of this contributes to building and supporting family-friendly communities which is an important part of the Provincial Government’s Population Growth Strategy.
Additionally, I also know that families throughout the province are really looking forward to the implementation of Full Day Kindergarten which will begin in September 2016. This is an initiative that we are all excited about.
