Cassidy Centre for Educational Justice (CCEJ)’s Post

Welcome to the final video of our Extra Credit series, a deep dive into the fight for dignity for 2SLGBTQ+ students in Canada. As we hear whispers of more transphobic and queerphobic protests to come in Canada, it feels more and more important to talk about the attempted rollback of rights for trans youth in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and New Brunswick, and the big ideas of this series. The changes proposed in these provinces invade people’s privacy and take away their agency. Coming out is something a person has the right to do on their own terms, and Canadians deserve healthcare without discrimination. We won’t let hate movements try to redefine things we’ve all known to be true for a long time. 2SLGBTQ+ people have always been here, and we always will. No law, policy, or curriculum will ever change that, and advocates, communities, and supportive families and educators will never stop fighting for dignity for youth in schools. We loved working with Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario and Toronto Pflag on this series that hopes to dispel myths and talk about the history of inclusive education policy in Canada. Check out the full series here: https://ow.ly/MOGL50T2k5N

Over on our blog we have published our response to the non statutory draft guidance for schools and colleges in England and Wales regarding gender-questioning children and young people. This draft guidance was released on 19 December 2023 with a consultation open until 12 March 2024. We sent our own response as an organisation to that consultation back in March and are sharing our response publicly now to record our opposition to it in its entirety. Through our work and lived experience we know the impact on trans and gender expansive people when their right to exist is called into question. Every child and young person should be safe and respected in school or college and their best interests met in an environment that celebrates learning, inclusivity and diversity. The UK government’s draft guidance for schools in England does not respect or serve the interests of trans and gender-expansive children and young people and is at odds with existing children’s rights and equalities legislation in the UK, including both the Equality Act 2010 and the Human Rights Act 1998. The lives of trans and gender-expansive children and young should never be up for debate. We join with many other LGBT+ organisations, youth organisations and schools in urging the government to reconsider the position taken in this guidance and instead to view this as a vital opportunity to implement clear guidance that creates genuine inclusivity and safety for all children and young people, including by listening to children and young people themselves. Head to our website to read our full statement, with links to relevant evidence and research. https://lnkd.in/eNjxA_GV

Read this and then read it again. When someone from a minority background racially insults another from a minority background - in total ignorance - it makes my blood boil. Not only has this happened to me before where I’ve been told to go back to where I belong - uh, I belong here where I was born , thanks - it is still happening in 2024 to young adults and children of diverse backgrounds. When will this change? Organisations have a duty I believe to be part of the change. It may feel as if it isn’t your duty, but if we do not all collectively promote equality and education of differences here on LinkedIn, then young people may well grow up and enter the working world thinking abuse of this kind will go untouched. Please ensure your organisation does not stand for such conscious or unconscious abuse. It’s easy to ignore it, pretend it’s not happening. The answer is not just recruitment of more minorities. It is education and awareness. As a South Asian female, it doesn’t seem like a big ask but when I reflect on the racism I’ve experienced in my life, it really does upset me. I have to accept others - as do my children - yet we have to somehow know that there will be times we will get abused for our heritage. Read that again. Minority people often know that in life, they will get abuse - we live with that. Stand for equality and education. Please share and let us speak of our experiences to ensure our voices are heard. #equality #inclusion #belonging #culturalawareness #corporateculture #linkedin #racialequality

🏫 Back to School, but not back to normal. As millions of students return to classrooms this fall, they should be excited about new school supplies, making friends, and diving into learning. Unfortunately, many will instead face censored curriculums, discriminatory policies, and diminished resources due to extremist school board members funded by right-wing groups. The School Board Project is launching our #BackToSchool campaign to spotlight the state of school boards and the urgent need to elect values-based school board members who prioritize education justice and the well-being of all students. 🗳 Why School Board Elections Matter - School boards should be focused on improving student outcomes, supporting teachers, managing budgets, and ensuring school safety. Instead, far-right candidates are using school boards to impose book bans, enforce evangelical curriculums, and push harmful policies targeting LGBTQ+ students. - Teachers are increasingly forced to cover funding gaps out of their own pockets. They deserve better support, and so do our students, parents, and school communities. - Candidates who follow these values often lack the resources and funding available to their opponents, who are backed by dark money. The School Board Project is here to change that. Join us in this critical effort to ensure that our schools are places of learning, growth, and opportunity for every student. Our future depends on it. 🔗 Download our toolkit and get involved today: https://lnkd.in/g7rcfMH2 #BackToSchool #EducationJustice #SchoolBoardElections #SupportOurSchools

🚀 10 reasons why you should stop, collaborate & listen by joining me this Wed 13 Nov 12-1pm AEST virtually when Cate Gilpin & I are formally launching a community dedicated to systemic change across the Australian Education Sector in a way that focuses on equity &/or equality for all. This will become a NFP / Community group. ❤️ We’d love you to be part of the movement & get involved from the start. Feel free to share this with others who might be interested. 1️⃣ Gender Equality in schools is linked to violence prevention. 2️⃣ Violence toward girls & women in schools is a child safety issue. 3️⃣ Private school legislation & governance needs reform - the time for exemptions & loopholes needs to end. 4️⃣ Public schools are underfunded & private schools are overfunded - this needs to stop. 5️⃣ LGBTQI+ rights are human rights & there can be no discrimination allowable for students or staff. 6️⃣ Creating a boys corner & a girls corner in early childhood education centres strengthens rigid gender norms early on - an input toward gender based violence. 7️⃣ Schools that are ‘exclusive’, are not ‘inclusive’, & schools that are not ‘inclusive’ are not psychologically safe, which is again a child safety issue. 8️⃣ The Human Rights Act in Qld does not apply in private school settings. Again requiring systemic legislative & governance reform. 9️⃣ Religious schools are among the most discriminative & this needs to be addressed in accordance with reviewing government funding eligibility. 🔟 Forcing students into dresses, short haircuts, or denying freedom of choice & expression are harmful policies that need to stop. ✅ If you're interested to join in the session this week, please message me with your email address & I'll send you the calendar invite.   Scope to include: ⭐ Research  ⭐ Funding ⭐ Gender ⭐ Neurodiversity & disability  ⭐ LGBTQI+ ⭐ Race & multiculturalism  ⭐ Intersectionality ⭐ And more tbc!   🤝 Hoping you can join in the movement & conversation. More info to come! 💡"NEVER DOUBT THAT A SMALL GROUP OF THOUGHTFUL, COMMITTED CITIZENS CAN CHANGE THE WORLD. INDEED, IT'S THE ONLY THING THAT EVER HAS." - MARGARET MEAD   Mark 😊 Ahmed Moustafa Timothy Mannix Chrissie Coogan Donna Wright Amanda Keddie Leonie Rowan Sapphire Parsons Coleen MacKinnon Stephen Zissermann James Headlam Liam Walsh Shannon Miller Michelle Lim 林敏诗 Nikki Tugano, MAPPCP Maddison Harrington Bec Brideson Dr. William DeJean Sonya Semmens Tanja Kovac Jasmin Bedir Simone Cariss Shaan Ross-Smith Dr Rachael Jefferson (formerly Jefferson-Buchanan) Girls' Uniform Agenda Ainslee Hooper Anna Tydd Prabha Nandagopal Sally Woolford The 100% Project The Be There Group BB.CO Cassie Lindsey Daniel Principe Dale Dawson Victoria Weekes Louise Weine Katherine Hudson Jeremy Leong FCPA Meg Ollason #education #schools #childcare #university #change #community #riseup #rebel #alliance #movement #equity #equality #inclusion #ethics #humanrights #collaboration #volunteer #nfp #launch #safety #gbv

The safety of 2SLGBTQ+ students in Canada is at risk, with provinces like New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, and Alberta introducing harmful policies. We’ve also seen hateful protests and dehumanizing, false rhetoric online. Hate groups are using 2SLGBTQ+ students as pawns to score political points in a climate where some are looking to create a more bigoted and prejudiced Canada. Pierre Poilievre, the Conservative Party of Canada leader, stands a very good chance of being our next Prime Minister, despite spreading hate and misinformation against trans and gender diverse people. The idea that many 2SLGBTQ+ people will have difficult childhoods because of their sexual orientation or gender shouldn’t just be an assumed fact of life. All students and youth — not just the cisgender, heterosexual ones — deserve freedom of expression, protection from bullying, and lives full of love and care. We’ve teamed up with Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario and Toronto Pflag to bring you this series that hopes to dispel myths and talk about the history of inclusive education policy in Canada. Supportive parents have been fighting for rights for a long time — the right their 2SLGBTQ+ kids have to to be treated with respect and dignity at school. Our communities and families won’t back down and let the clock be turned back on our hard-won rights and safety. Stay tuned over the next several weeks for more information and history on this issue, and learn more at https://ow.ly/Rf5150SzPec

Will you join us and wear purple for #SpiritDay? 💜 We're standing alongside GLAAD and wearing purple today in solidarity with LGBTQIA+ youth. This is a cause close to our hearts. Many of us at Proud2Be experienced bullying as young LGBTQIA+ people, and we now work to counter hate and misinformation by spreading awareness and building safe LGBTQIA+ community here in Devon 🧡 Here's why we're wearing purple today: 💜 In 2019, 86% of people in the UK believe LGBTQIA+ people should be accepted by society (2020). 💜 Most young people (84%) are pro-trans (2021). 💜 43% of LGBTQIA+ school pupils were bullied in the past year; double the number of non-LGBTQIA+ pupils (2021). 💜 Just 1 in 5 (19%) LGBTQIA+ parents reported that their child’s school openly discussed LGBTQIA+ families with pupils (2024). 💜 Half of pupils (48%) had little or no positive messaging about being LGBTQIA+ at school in the past year (2021). 💜 Yet strong positive messaging about being LGBTQIA+ in schools helps decrease thoughts and feelings of s**c*de in both LGBTQIA+ AND non-LGBTQIA+ pupils (2021). Every young LGBTQIA+ person deserves hope, joy, access to adequate medical care, and the freedom to be who they are without discrimination! Sources: Just Like Us: Growing Up LGBT+ report (2021) Just Like Us: LGBT+ Parents report (2024) ILGA-Europe Pew Research Center: The Global Divide on Homosexuality Persists (2020)

We’re thrilled to announce that our activity book for the Sports Puberty Program is finally finished! 🎉 Together with Izma Anwar we’ve created a program that will Increase girls participation in sports and teach them about their bodies at the same time. We will run it post Oz open with Nelson Parker and the great Get Set Tennis in our community and then head into schools next year! Why did I do this? In the Australian curriculum, sexual health outcomes are typically embedded within the physical education segment, which forms a barrier teaching about sexual and reproductive health in other subjects. Recognising this barrier and wanting kids to get good information to make informed decisions about their bodies, we designed a unique program that blends sports—particularly those with low female representation—with education on puberty. It covers the social, emotional, and physical changes that come puberty and introduces you to a new sport, in this case tennis! Our goal is to empower more girls to take part in sports and encourage them to stay playing even as their bodies change. This program is adaptable across various sports, making it flexible and inclusive for different schools and communities and we’re working on adapting it for boys too with the intent to embed gender equality and the benefits in sport. Similar to our children’s rights program, we will be advertising soon to invite schools in Canberra, ACT, to pilot our Sports Puberty Program starting in Term 1, 2025. If you're interested in learning more and want the opportunity to participate in this free pilot program, we'd love to hear from you! Here’s a sneak peek to our page about the physical changes…to see the rest you’ll have to sign up! #educaciondiversa #getsettennis #acttennis #sports #puberty #proudofthisone #breakingbarrier #education #rights #csrhe #srh #sexualhealth #educaciondiversports

Quality education is the foundation for improving people’s lives and achieving sustainable development. Despite progress, millions of children worldwide still lack access to education, particularly in developing regions. Key Strategies to Ensure Inclusive and Equitable Quality Education 1. Access to Education: Ensuring that all children have access to free, quality primary and secondary education is essential. 2. Inclusive Education: Education systems must accommodate all learners, including those with disabilities, indigenous people, and children from marginalised communities. 3. Gender Equality in Education: Promoting gender equality in education ensures that girls have the same opportunities as boys. This includes addressing barriers such as child marriage and gender-based violence. 4. Quality of Education: Improving the quality of education by training teachers, developing relevant curricula, and providing adequate learning materials enhances student outcomes. 5. Early Childhood Education: Investing in early childhood education lays a strong foundation for lifelong learning. Access to preschool education can significantly improve school readiness and long-term educational outcomes. #SDG4 #QualityEducation #EducationForAll #SDG4 #InclusiveEducation #EqualOpportunities

Have you ever considered how free access to educational resources can transform entire economies? 🤔 Education doesn't just change individual lives; it has the power to uplift entire communities. At Aldaba Foundation, we've witnessed firsthand how providing free access to education creates a profound socioeconomic impact in underserved areas. 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁: ➡️ Increased personal income: People who gain new skills secure better job opportunities. According to a World Bank study, every additional year of education boosts a person’s earnings by about 10%. ➡️ Reduced unemployment: Lifelong learning and professional training build a more capable workforce, reducing unemployment rates locally and nationally. 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀: ➡️Improved community well-being: Accessible education fosters civic participation and stronger social cohesion. UNESCO reports that countries with higher levels of education enjoy greater democratic engagement. ➡️Social empowerment: Free education opens doors for marginalized groups, including women, Hispanics, and LGBTQ+ communities, giving them the tools to gain influence and agency in their environments. What do you think about these impacts? Have you experienced them personally or witnessed them in your community? #EducationForAll #EmpowerCommunities #SocioeconomicImpact #FreeLearning #ChangeTheWorld