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	Children&#39;s classrooms will have posters urging an end to bullying based upon sexual identity</p>
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	Catholic and Protestant schools are to take the landmark step of displaying LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) posters in classrooms as part of an all-out drive to stamp out homophobic bullying.</p>
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	In an historic departure for some schools with a religious ethos, it is planned to implement radical new guidelines set down by the Department of Education.</p>
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	The department&#39;s action plan contains specific proposals to clamp down on the bullying of students because of their sexual orientation.</p>
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	However, some teachers are privately concerned that the display of LGBT posters in a very public fashion could upset certain traditionally minded parents.</p>
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	An INTO spokesperson confirmed that the department&#39;s anti-bullying procedures must be implemented by Easter. He said 90 members of the union currently described themselves as LGBT.</p>
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	&quot;We believe this falls far short of the actual number of LGBT teachers in classrooms all over the country,&quot; he added.</p>
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	An ASTI spokesperson said the union takes a &quot;pro-active approach&quot; in the prevention of homophobic school bullying and backs the proposal to have the LGBT posters displayed in all schools.</p>
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	It also supports &#39;Stand Up! Awareness Week&#39;, which starts tomorrow. This annual event is organised by the pressure group &#39;BeLonG To&#39;, which promotes the interests of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender young people.</p>
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	The organisation also backs the department&#39;s proposals and says they will be &quot;very useful&quot; in helping schools cope with bullying of this kind.</p>
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	It has been confirmed that resource packs, which include LGBT posters, have been distributed to schools as part of the Stand Up! week programme.</p>
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	A TUI spokesperson said the union supported the display of the posters, adding that a motion adopted at last year&#39;s annual congress also called for an end to discrimination against gay and lesbian teachers.</p>
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	The department is also anxious for schools to come up with &quot;specific education and prevention strategies&quot; to cope with &quot;identity-based bullying&#39;&#39;.</p>
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	According to the guidelines, these must zone in on bullying of a &quot;homophobic and transphobic&quot; nature. It also recommends discussion with parents about &quot;specific statements of welcome and respect&quot; for pupils who have a particular sexual orientation.</p>
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	This should also be included in the teaching of the Social, Personal, Health Education (SPHE) resource, &#39;Growing Up LGBT&#39; module. Schools should also participate in LGBT &quot;awareness events&quot;.</p>
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	Ferdia Kelly, general secretary of the Joint Managerial Body (JMB), which represents almost 400 second-level schools, says he expects full implementation of the department proposals.</p>
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	&quot;Schools are very much aware of the issues of bullying in all its facets,&#39;&#39; he told the Sunday Independent.</p>
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	He also said he &quot;didn&#39;t expect any backlash or negative comment&quot; from more conservative elements within the Catholic and Protestant churches.</p>
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	The latest initiative follows the publication of a study which showed that an alarming number of victims of homophobic school bullying became suicidal.</p>
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	According to the book, Bullying In Irish Education, published in the run-up to Christmas, the topic was for many years taboo in Irish schools.</p>
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	It was reported that almost six in 10 LGBT people, and more than half of current schoolgoers, suffered homophobic bullying in school.</p>
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	Over 50 per cent said they had been called names because of their sexual orientation and a startling eight per cent were even taunted by members of school staff.</p>
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	Research reported high levels of depression and self-harm, with increasing risks of suicide among those who were affected.</p>
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	A leading researcher has warned that the absence of teaching about sexual orientation has contributed &quot;to homophobic bullying among students in Irish schools&quot;.</p>
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	Sex education had been mainly based on the heterosexual model, according to Dr James O&#39;Higgins Norman, a leading researcher on bullying at Dublin City University.</p>
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	&quot;But that is now changing. Students are now being taught about growing up LGBT as part of Social, Personal and Health Education,&#39;&#39; he said</p>
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	&quot;Ten years ago, even to ask questions about homophobic bullying in schools was very difficult.</p>
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	&quot;Although things have changed, there are still a lot of teachers uncomfortable about LGBT issues, particularly men in all-boys schools,&quot; he added.</p>
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	http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/education/religious-schools-to-join-campaign-on-homophobia-30075722.html</p>
