Queer education continues in the primary schools of Hafnarfjörður

Hafnarfjörður Municipality and Samtökin ’78 are working together.

The partnership agreement with Samtökin 78 has been renewed for the 2024-2025 academic year. The partnership between the Association and the City of Hafnarfjörður has been in place since 2016, when a collaboration on education and counselling began. The collaboration has involved the Association providing specific training for staff and one year group in Hafnarfjörður's primary schools each academic year. In recent years, at the request of the municipality, training for nursery school staff and staff in leisure centres has also been added.

LGBTQ+ education ensures a welcoming environment

„We at Samtökin “78 are really pleased that the Municipality of Hafnarfjörður has renewed its agreement with us for continued queer education for staff in primary and nursery schools, and for children and young people. "Through this collaboration, the municipal authorities are promoting a queer-friendly environment and doing their part to ensure that human rights and equality are upheld within the municipality's institutions," says Kári Garðarsson, Executive Director of Samtökin '78, about the collaboration with the City of Hafnarfjörður.

The training for primary school staff began with all primary school staff receiving six hours of training on LGBTQ+ issues. Annually, this training has been held for new staff at the primary schools each autumn. Throughout the winter, pupils in Year 8 at the primary schools have received two lessons of training from the organisation, which is organised by each individual school. In addition, the town council subsidises parents and young people from Hafnarfjörður to attend counselling at Samtökin 78 free of charge, if requested. The agreement for this academic year was signed in the autumn by the Executive Director of Samtökin 78, Kári Garðarsson, and Fanney Dóróthe Halldórsdóttir, Head of the Education and Public Health Department.