Right: Polar opposites: Senators Cory Bernardi and Penny Wong in heated discussion at the National Press Club. The two politicians also disagree on the aims and merits of the Safe Schools program.
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Background information
(Most of the information found below was drawn from a Wikipedia entry titled 'Safe Schools Coalition Australia'. The full text of this entry can be accessed at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safe_Schools_Coalition_Australia)
The Safe Schools Coalition Australia (SSCA) is a national coalition of organisations and schools formed to create safe and inclusive schools for students, families and staff who are same sex attracted, intersex and/or gender diverse. The focus of SSCA is on 'challenging bullying and discrimination' within school settings. They operate as part of the Foundation for Young Australians (FYA), a body which researches youth-related issues and develops youth-support programs. SSCA is funded by the Australian and Victorian governments.
The program commenced in Victoria in 2010, and received national funding of $8 million in 2013. It was formally launched in June 2014.
The program runs in every State and Territory of Australia except Northern Territory. As of mid February 2016, 490 schools are members of the program, and 86 organisations are supporters of the coalition.
In 2015, a teaching manual called 'All Of Us' was launched, following approval by the federal Education Department. Authors of the manual include Margot Fink, a finalist for Young Australian of the Year in 2016. The guide includes information on teaching gender diversity, sexual diversity and intersex topics. It includes a video of same sex attracted and gender diverse youth, as well as intersex film-maker Phoebe Hart.
In describing the aims of the program, the Safe Schools Coalition Australia reports that '75% of same sex attracted young people experience some form of homophobic abuse or bullying... A staggering 80% of young people experienced abuse and bullying while at school. Research on intersex Australians published in 2016 shows that, while 2% of Australians fail to complete secondary school, 18% of Australians born with intersex variations fail to do so due to issues around bullying, discrimination and pubertal medical interventions.
Controversy around the program
The program has cross party support, including from education experts and peak bodies, Labor state governments, and government ministers, however, the program is opposed by some religious groups. Controversial aspects of the 'All Of Us' guide include 'encouraging students to defy teachers who do not let them put up posters or access gay websites'.
On 9 February 2016, The Australian newspaper reported claims that a "gay manual" was being pushed in schools. A spokesperson for the Australian Christian Lobby stated that the program pressured kids and "confuses them about their own identity". Kevin Donnelly, a senior research fellow at the Australian Catholic University has described the program as 'social engineering'.
However, on 14 February 2016 the education minister, Simon Birmingham, described the lessons prepared by the coalition as having 'reasonable objectives'. Birmingham stated that controversy over the program was 'very unhelpful because the debate that seems to be occurring in the public space is one of whether or not we should be teaching inclusiveness and tolerance in our schools'.
Advocates for the program point to high levels of homophobic abuse, including in school settings, and high levels of school leaving. The managing director of the Young and Well Co-operative Research Centre has described the curriculum material as necessary.
The program is under review by the Turnbull Coalition government after Coalition backbenchers Cory Bernardi and George Christensen raised concerns over the 'sexualised' nature of the program. Christensen also likened the program to a 'paedophile grooming a victim'.