The anti-bullying program Safe Schools Coalition Australia (SSCA) has come under fire by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, who claim that the program aims to “educate children from kindergarten through to high school about a homosexual and transgender life style”.

While the program claims to be anti-bullying, the Archdiocese’s SRI program coordinator in Victoria, Daniel Bellis says the Church opposes the “radical gender theory” which they believe is being presented to students surrounding gender fluidity.

“The traditional understanding of male and female gender is being displaced by gender radical theory where a person may no longer identify as male or female, and that is being taught to kids, and potentially confusing them. So that’s what we’re most concerned about,” he told Neos Kosmos.

The program which officially commenced in 2014, was designed by the SSCA to protect LGBTI school students from bullying and to further educate teachers and school staff about related issues.

Run on a voluntary basis, there are currently 545 participating schools that have access to age appropriate and tailor made learning materials and resources for both staff and students.

As it stands, opposition leader Bill Shorten has committed that Labor will continue to fund the program beyond 2017, while the federal government announced earlier this year that it would cease funding the program beyond 2017.

Despite an independent expert review into Safe Schools that suggested the curriculum change to achieve its intended anti-bullying outcomes, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has committed the program will remain in place under his watch and that funding will be locked in at a state level regardless of the election outcome on July 2.

While the church does not condone changing one’s gender through surgery, based on the belief that “all people are made in the image of God”, Mr Bellis says society shouldn’t be so fixated on defining what it means to be a man or a woman.

“It’s no longer male or female… there’s eight or 10 definitions of sexuality now, which seems to be liberating, but it’s having the opposite effect and narrowing the expression of the individual’s sexuality,” he explains.

“We advocate for a broad definition of what it means to be a male or female rather than the narrowing of the definition to include all these other types of genders.”

Reflecting on feedback from parents, Mr Bellis says the general consensus is that they feel it is their responsibility to discuss these matters with their
children, rather than the school.

Adding to their concern is the instruction in the Safe School’s guide for teacher’s that “consideration should be given… whether it would be appropriate to involve the student’s parent(s) or guardian(s) in each decision” in the case of gender identity transition or affirmation, leading parents to feel out of the loop.

To further inform parents of the Safe Schools program’s content, the Archdiocese will run two information sessions this month in Victoria.

Taking part as speakers over the two days will be president of the Australian Marriage Forum, Dr David van Gend, and rehabilitation counsellor and Sydney University associate professor Dr James Athanasou. Mother of four, Cella White, will also give a first-hand account of her experiences with the program.

“We encourage parents to respond and to communicate with their schools that they believe it’s their responsibility, and their right as well, to communicate these sensitive or complex issues to their own children when they believe the child is ready,” says Mr Bellis.

“A family unit knows their children and knows when it’s best to have those conversations, as opposed to a teacher who has a class of 30 and only sees them for a limited number of hours each day.”

* Neos Kosmos reached out to an SSCA member school, yet they were unavailable for comment.
The information sessions will be held on Saturday 25 June at 15 Blyth St, Brunswick, VIC at 5.30 pm and on Sunday 26 June at 83-87 Wilesden Rd, Oakleigh,VIC at 5.00 pm.