Expanding LGBTQ+ Education: Student-Led Discovery and Inquiry

Since the enactment of the "LGBT Understanding Promotion Act (Act on Promoting Public Understanding of Diversity in Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity)" in June last year, the need for LGBTQ+ education in schools has become even more pressing. Various initiatives are underway, such as study sessions to convey accurate knowledge and changes to school uniforms to eliminate gender bias. Additionally, efforts are emerging to help students feel more personally connected to these issues.

At Tokyo Metropolitan Oizumi High School Affiliated Junior High School in Nerima Ward, Tokyo, an inquiry-based program was introduced three years ago. Its purpose is for students to confront social issues and take action. Students themselves decide the themes for their social issue projects, with approximately 100 projects currently being student-led. The social issues span a wide range of themes, including "environment," "food," "bullying," and "disaster prevention." Among these, "LGBTQ+" is one of the important themes taken up by many students.

A presentation event for these projects was held at the school on Saturday, January 27th. Ms. Yoshika Oshima and Ms. Miyu Suga from Dentsu Inc., who are conducting the "LGBTQ+ Survey," also attended as listeners. In the LGBTQ+ themed program, students identified issues based on discomforts they experienced in daily life, such as the ease of coming out, gender issues perceived in school uniforms, and differences in awareness with parents. They then presented ideas on how to solve these issues, their implementation, and the results and future prospects.

Presentation scene. "Are We Labeling? – Conveying Diversity from Early Childhood Through Original Picture Books – (Grade 9)" Students created picture books based on their ideas and read them aloud to preschoolers.
 

Presentations referenced the Dentsu Inc. LGBTQ+ Survey and articles on gender bias. Photos from top: "Developing a New SNS for Middle/High School Students - How to Improve Gender Bias? Raising Awareness by Sharing Discomfort - (Grade 8)" "What Would You Do? - If Your Child Came Out as LGBTQ+ - (Grade 8)"

Mr. Oshima and Mr. Suga of Dentsu Inc. listening to the presentation and exchanging opinions.

Mr. Oshima and Mr. Suga from Dentsu Inc. attended the presentation and commented as follows.

What struck me most while listening to the various teams' presentations was how many had set their challenge as "resolving the gap in parental understanding." It felt like they were conveying, from the perspective of middle schoolers—regardless of whether they were LGBTQ+ individuals or not—that parental perceptions impact their values and their ability to live comfortably. This gave us an opportunity to reconsider how we adults should act to prevent passing problems on to the next generation.

(Kaka Oshima, Dentsu Inc., Third Marketing Bureau, Marketing Consulting Division 1)

 

What impressed me most about this initiative was how the junior high students themselves actively developed an interest in LGBTQ+ issues, thought about how to spread this information to more people, and took action. Seeing them experiment with the LGBTQ+ information they encounter daily through news and social media, devising various creative ways to share it with those around them, prompted me—as an information disseminator—to reexamine how I can make LGBTQ+ themes feel more personally relevant to a broader audience.

(Miyu Suga, Dentsu Inc., Third Marketing Bureau, Connection Planning Department 2)

Mr. Miyoshi, the teacher leading this initiative at Oizumi High School Affiliated Junior High School, stated, "I get the impression that many junior high students take up LGBTQ+ as a theme. I think this is because they encounter LGBTQ+ information on TV or the internet, or feel a disconnect in understanding during conversations with their parents, creating many opportunities for them to question things." He explained that LGBTQ+ is a familiar social issue for students. "For children to become the next generation of global leaders, they must confront social issues and take action themselves. We started this initiative believing such talent development is essential. Though only three years in, we see great value in what children uniquely perceive, in fostering their sense of ownership, and in how cumulative actions toward solutions spread and grow," he stated.

It's not just about gaining knowledge; it's about exploring and taking action to make social issues their own. A new kind of education focused on solving social issues is spreading.

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