Chiloane must hold Sedibeng officials to account for approach to LGBTQIA+ learners: DA
The sexual orientation of any individual in this country, like their race or religious beliefs, should not be used as a marker which they should be required to publicly declare for any purpose.
SEDIBENG.- The DA in Gauteng has demanded that the MEC for Education, Matome Chiloane, hold the Sedibeng East District officials to account for their alleged unconstitutional approach to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersexual and Asexual (LGBTQIA+) learners.
This follows a memorandum issued by the Sedibeng East District addressed to principals of all public and independent schools issuing an instruction to schools to compile “a database of learners from the LGBTQI community” for targeted awareness sessions. This also included a parental confirmation and consent form. The Department apparently claimed this initiative was an attempt to protect learners from bullying and the memorandum was later withdrawn after the MEC’s intervention because he was under pressure from different stakeholders.
Even though the memorandum was withdrawn, the DA said that it believes that it was ill-conceived, dangerous, and violates the rights of individuals as enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic. The party said that in terms of its policy, schools are required to protect learners from discrimination of all kinds.
“We do not believe it is necessary to differentiate between bullying of different categories of learners. All bullying is abhorrent and must be prevented. It should certainly not be necessary for learners to disclose their gender identity or sexual orientation to receive an equal education or fair treatment. The sexual orientation of any individual in this country, like their race or religious beliefs, should not be used as a marker which they should be required to publicly declare for any purpose. Compiling a database of these learners for targeted awareness sessions will predictably have precisely the opposite impact of its stated intentions.”
The party further said that the forced “outing” of members of the LGBTQIA+ community could place these learners at an even greater risk of bullying. It also potentially places these learners at greater risk, especially in an intolerant wider society, where persecution of individuals is sometimes rife.
