Put forward by One Nation MLC Mark Latham, the bill sought to prohibit schools from discussing the existence of trans and gender-diverse people exist, and would have placed teachers and counsellors at risk of losing their jobs for supporting them.
NSW Teachers Federation President Angelo Gavrielatos said the union has been unequivocal in its opposition to the bill since it was first tabled in 2020.
We’re pleased the Government made the right decision and rejected One Nation’s cruel and self-serving attempt to make schools less safe for trans and gender-diverse children.
A school curriculum cannot be owned by any individual group, political party, regime or tendency. This bill was nothing but a vehicle for One Nation’s hatred and ultra-conservative vision for education, which was a direct attack on the safety of trans and gender-diverse young people in schools.
The education that parents expect from the school system is one that prepares young people to be active citizens of the world. But this damaging bill would have pit parents against schools and teachers, and fail to put the needs and rights of students first.