IN SUPPORT OF GENDER DIVERSE STUDENTS in Australian schools
Ysabella Dawson Student Wellbeing Coordinator As Australian society has become increasingly accepting of gender diversity, the number of young people openly identifying as transgender and advocating for community and specialist healthcare support, both medical and psychological, has also risen (Riggs et al. 2014). While this appears a positive move towards social justice and equity for all, regardless of gender orientation, young people who identify as transgender and gender diverse remain vulnerable and still face an increased risk of social and academic marginalisation at school. As such, it is both prudent and necessary that school principals and their staff are equipped to deliver data-informed pastoral care to these students. Indeed, this care should stem from well-researched approaches, including wellbeing frameworks, school-wide policies, and teacher education opportunities, that facilitate a safe, respectful, and supportive learning environment for transgender and gender diverse young people.
equity (Riseman 2019). However, it is worth noting that the language and terminology referenced in existing state and territory law is rather narrow, and their definitions problematic, in that they may define people in ways that they do not define themselves. In 1987, Australia’s first legally amended birth certificate was recorded by the Births, Deaths and Marriages Department of New South Wales to reflect a change in sex of an individual (Jones et al. 2015). In the decades since, Australia’s remaining states and territories have enacted legislation to recognise the affirmed sex of an individual after surgery, unless the person is married (Jones et al. 2015). Yet despite the legal protections afforded to transgender people that prohibit discrimination on the basis of their gender identity, there remains a notable lag in social attitudes that acknowledge the lived experiences of gender diverse individuals.
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Language and legislature
Relevant contextual factors within Australian education
Today, Australian law describes the obligation of the school in the way they must respond to the needs of transgender and gender diverse students, with both State and Commonwealth legislation dictating that it is a requirement for schools to ensure that no discrimination occurs on the basis of gender
Since 2014, the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA n.d.) has set the expectations for what all young Australians should be taught, with state education departments responsible for the manner in which such content is delivered. Within the curriculum, ‘focus areas’
