Archive: GALE
Critical review of LGBTIQ+ education policy in the Netherlands shows inner workings of a supportive state - May 17, 2024
17 May 2024 - Today GALE publishes a new review of the DESPOGI/LGBTIQ+ education policy In the Netherlands. As usual, GALE checked the national education policy on the 15 checkpoints of the GALE Checklist. In 2017, GALE scored the Dutch policy as 95%, which falls in the supportive range. In 2024, GALE rated the Netherlands as 73%, which still falls in the supportive range but in the lower part of it. The elaborate review shows how even a supportive state struggles to make steps forward. Making policy and initiating interventions is one thing but having an impact on the social realities is considerably more challenging.
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New take on LGBTIQ+ teacher training - August 24, 2023
24 August 2023 - The My-ID project has published a new open-source user manual on how to develop an optimal teacher training on LGBTIQ+ issues. The manual gives a new take on LGBTIQ+ training. Rather than focusing on LGBTIQ+ “visibility” and giving teachers information on how to “correctly” approach LGBTIQ+ students, the manual and the accompanying background reader offer a view on how teacher can be approached on the emotional and attitudinal level.
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Policy recommendations on LGBTIQ+: focus on ideals or feasibility? - July 31, 2023
31 July 2023 - The European UNIQUE-project attempted to introduce inclusion of LGBTIQ+ students in vocational education. At the end of the project, political recommendations were developed. Because there was little time left to consult experts face-to-face, it was decided to check the draft recommendations through a survey. To the surprise of the project partners, key recommendations were rejected by a substantial number of stakeholders. This raised the question whether policy recommendations on sexual and gender diversity in schools should be based on idealistic points on the horizon, or on more realistic short-term or mid-term objectives. The implications of this choice may be helpful or blocking future successful implementation of LGBTIQ+ interventions and policies.
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European partnership develops e-course for vocational teachers - July 24, 2023
24 July 2023 - The European UNIQUE-project partnership launched its elaborate e-course on how to give attention to sexual and gender diversity for vocational teachers. The free online resource is the main tool in a transnational strategy to recruit and train teacher-ambassadors, who should undertake initiatives to make their vocational course more LGBTIQ+ inclusive.
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European UNIQUE project approaches final events - April 27, 2023
27 April, 2023 - The European UNIQUE project approaches its final date. Several closing events are taking place, like a conference in Brussels (and online), round tables to discuss policy recommendations and closing events in the participating countries Greece, Cyprus, Croatia, Poland and Bulgaria. Members of GALE can now also give feedback to the UNIQUE policy recommendations!
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Dutch government declares the end of the COVID-19 epidemic - March 02, 2023
March 2, 2023 - The Dutch COVID-19 outbreak team has declared an end to the COVID-19 epidemic. Previous research has shown how LGBTIQ+ people have been more affected by COVID-19 than the average population. GALE was involved in an international project to help provider mediate these unequal impacts. Now we face the question if we can sustain what we have learned during the epidemic. Are we returning to the “normal” (exclusion), or did we learn how to turn new ways to our advantage?
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GALE is struggling but looking forward - December 29, 2022
29 December 2022 - This GALE Update is the first one since a year. This is because GALE was struggling to survive. The year 2022 was a challenging year and GALE did not have the space for PR and news provision. We hope this will get better in 2023.
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The UNIQUE partnership stands in solidarity with LGBTIQ Prides - June 16, 2022
16 June 2022 - The UNIQUE partnership, consisting of 9 partners in 7 European countries, stands in solidarity with LGBTIQ* Prides in Europe and worldwide. The UNIQUE project promotes the full inclusion of all students in vocational education and training, including LGBTIQ students. GALE is part of the partnership.
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GALE launches survey on service provision for LGBTIQ+ during Covid-19 - September 23, 2021
23 September 2021 - Today, GALE launches an international survey to map how LGBTIQ+ people have experiences the Covid-19 epidemic, and whether the epidemic affected their possibilities to access necessary services. The survey is part of a needs assessment by the RAINBO partnership, which is active in 6 European countries: Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania and the UK. The results will be used to develop an international online course for service providers.
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New project researches LGBTIQ discrimination in vocational education - March 27, 2021
27 March 2021 - A new European project embarks on a research on LGBTIQ discrimination in vocational education. The UNIQUE project focuses on training vocational teachers to become ambassadors of sexual and gender diversity, and the research is part of the needs assessment. GALE is one of the partners in the project and conducts the research both in the Netherlands, where it is based, and in other countries in Europe.
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