Headteacher to come out as gay and introduce his husband to pupils in school assembly
Nicholas Hewlett of St Dunstan’s College has been inspired by an out gay student: "I felt that I owed it to the pupils"
Words: Jamie Tabberer; picture: St Dunstan’s College/YouTube
A headteacher of London private school has shared his plan to come out as gay to pupils in teachers in an online assembly.
Nicholas Hewlett, head of the £18,000-a-year St Dunstan’s College in Catford, will make the announcement today in what is to be an educational first in the UK.
The teacher added that he hoped kids would greet the news by wearing rainbow shoelaces and waving rainbow flags.
“Here I am as a happily married gay man, and the children do not know that at school”
“Not long ago I was doing interviews with the pupils, and one of them was talking about how comfortable he was about being gay,” Hewlett told The Times yesterday.
“I was so blown away by the courage of him that something flipped in my head. I thought then of my own situation and thought: ‘This is ridiculous.’ Here I am as a happily married gay man, and the children do not know that at school.
“There will be kids who are struggling with their own sexuality and who would benefit from knowing that you can be happy and gay, and I have a privileged position to show them that. I felt that I owed it to the pupils to be open and courageous too. I am inspired by them.”
The Department for Education told the publication: ‘We trust teachers and school leaders to make decisions about what’s appropriate to discuss with pupils.
‘By the end of secondary education, all pupils should receive teaching on LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] relationships. Schools are free to determine how they do this.’
Hewlett entered a civil partnership with Alberic Elson [above in provided picture], director of music of Whitgift School in nearby Croydon, in 2014. His announcement marks the beginning of LGBTQ History Month.
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