A thorough investigation found that the bullying charters at British private schools located in the Middle East have now been amended to prohibit homophobia.
King’s College Sherborne, Royal Grammar School Guildford (RGS), and other schools have regional branches, which help them earn tens to millions of pounds through franchising agreements.
But their locations in extremely religious societies mean they must abide by strict Islamic government guidelines on ownership, curriculum content and patriotism if they want to be granted operating licences, the Times reported.
A thorough investigation has shown that there are clear differences between the bullying guidelines in Middle East and the UK. Homosexuality is also often prohibited in these countries.
The UK editions clearly refer to homophobic bullying as something that is prohibited. In the Middle East franchises however, almost all or any references to students of sexual orientation or LGBT+ have been removed.
The majority of franchising agreements see British schools working with companies in the host nation, who pay to franchise their names. However, the franchisee schools will not be able to follow all the British school’s customs and curriculum.
In the past, strict rules have prohibited any teaching about the Holocaust or evolution.
Investigations revealed that many schools had clear differences with bullying guidelines from the UK or Middle East. This is where homosexuality can often be illegal.
LGBT+ organizations urged schools last night to create an environment where children could accept one another.
Mo Wiltshire (director of education and youth at Stonewall) stated: “The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child says that children should be protected against any form of discrimination.” These rights are universal.
The Times investigation found King’s College Doha, the sister school of King’s College, in Taunton, removed homophobia from its website definition of bullying – which is set by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC).
King’s College Doha does not list ‘racial sexual or homophobic bullying’ as a reference in the NSPCC.
King’s claims that King was supposed to make the edit was due for revision, and so it said that charity was “concerned”. It did not comment further but claimed its new anti-bullying guidelines included homophobia.
RGS prohibits students making homophobic or transphobic comments on its British site. However, it will not allow such remarks on the Qatari counterpart’s website.
According to a spokeswoman, the Times must comply with all laws in the country where it is operating.
She said, “Royal Grammar School Guildford is always going to challenge bullying, regardless of its root.”
Sherborne School in Dorset, however, vows that its “school policies and practice are inclusive and supportive LGBT people”.
For Doha Branch students, however, no guarantee of this nature is given.
Mo Wiltshire (director of education and youth at Stonewall) stated: “The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child says that children should be protected against any form of discrimination.” These rights are universal. (file photo)
Dominic Luckett (the headmaster) stated that he had worked with Sherborne Qatar for ten years and it was clear to him that the school doesn’t tolerate discrimination or bullying.
Brighton College is the quintessential British queer college. It has three Middle East outposts. It wasn’t immediately obvious if the bullying charter included homophobia and other LGBT+ references.
A former Dubai teacher claimed that the Dubai branch was forced to hide Israel from the maps. They declined to comment.
This is a result of Richard Cairns, the headmaster of the school’s LGBT Community Unit writing an open letter in 2020 lamenting ‘persecution members of the LGBT community around the globe’.
According to a spokesperson for the Department of Education, some British international schools have been accredited by the government. They follow the independent school standards of the British government. However, other schools do not receive this accreditation and must adhere to the laws and regulations of their home countries.
Accredited companies are subject to inspections. If serious failures are discovered, they can be shut down.