Haileybury College calls for support for transitioning students
An elite Melbourne school has warned its community to prepare for transitioning students to swap between the boys and girls programs as more students grapple with gender identity issues.
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A top private school has called on its school community to support transitioning students who may move between its separate programs for girls and boys, saying gender diversity was becoming more visible.
Haileybury College’s appeal for respect for difference from the school community comes as schools grapple with how to manage, accommodate and support students facing gender identity challenges.
In a note to parents headed “supporting gender diversity” Haileybury senior vice principal Pam Chamberlain said:
“As many of you will be aware, gender diversity is becoming more noticeable in young people and over the course of the next few months we will have students in Haileybury’s senior schools who will transition between Haileybury College and Haileybury Girls’ College.
“We will provide information and support for our community to ensure any transitions are completed in the best way possible. Haileybury embraces diversity and respects difference across the board. We expect that the students who transition will be treated with the same regard we expect for all members of our community.”
Haileybury, with fees of $32,000 a year from Year 9 to 12, is one of the leading private schools in Melbourne, with campuses in Keysborough, Brighton, Berwick, Melbourne city and Beijing.
It champions a “best of both worlds” model where girls and boys attend the same campus. Depending on the year level the genders are split. In years 9-12, for instance, the genders are separate apart from some classes where co-instruction is seen as an advantage. At VCE, the girls’ stream outshines the boy’s stream, although both are high ranking.
The senior school has separate study and recreational areas for girls and boys with some shared spaces. Haileybury started as a boys’ school in 1892 with the girls’ school opened in 2002.
In a statement to the Herald Sun, Haileybury said it was doing its best to ensure it catered for all students.
“Student welfare is paramount,” it said.
It said the school supported the gender identity of students and staff members, including those of transgender and intersex status, in line with both the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (Vic), the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Commonwealth), Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act (2006) and Australian Government Guidelines on the Recognition of Sex and Gender.
“We support and respect a person’s right to express their gender identity whether or not this aligns with their designated sex at birth and we endeavour to protect a person’s privacy and confidentiality in relation to gender identity and intersex status,” the school said.
“We create an individual diversity support plan for any student who needs it and both the student and their support network will be invited to help formulate the plan to identify the ways in which the school may be able to provide assistance.”
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Haileybury also offers “adjustment support” to any member of its community if needed.
“Haileybury does not tolerate discrimination or unfair treatment of any of our students or staff under any circumstances.”
Earlier this year, the Alliance of Girls’ Schools of Australasia, representing 175 schools and 132,000 female students, hosted international psychotherapist and transgender specialist Julie Mencher to lead workshops in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Auckland.
The sessions were designed to help schools better understand the changing gender landscape and how to support gender nonconforming students.
A number of girls’ schools have been navigating managing girls who no longer identify as girls.
The Victorian Royal Commission into Mental Health heard this month that LGBTQI people faced higher risks of poor mental health due to the discrimination they faced.
“LGBTIQ people do not suffer from poorer mental health by virtue of who we are, but
rather because of experiences of discrimination and violence based on sexuality, gender
identity or intersex status,” a submission by gender and sexuality commissioner Ro Allen said.
This presented as actual experiences of discrimination and violence and vigilance against the possibility of discrimination and violence.
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