The non-discrimination article 21.1 in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (EU, 2012) states that: ‘Any discrimination based on any ground such as sex, race, color, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation shall be prohibited’. Having said that, the same charter also states in article 14.3 the right to education, and that freedom exists ‘to found educational establishments with due respect for democratic principles and the right of parents to ensure the education and teaching of their children in conformity with their religious, philosophical and pedagogical convictions shall be respected, in accordance with the national laws governing the exercise of such freedom and right’. The charter is legally binding since the Treaty of Lisbon was signed in 2009. The ‘List of Actions by the European Commission to advance LGBTI equality states that education plays an important role (EU Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers, 2015) and that best practices need to be sought to inform education across Europe. That these best practices are highly needed, show results from research carried out by the European Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). Their 2012 LGBT research indicated that 47% of LGBT youth always hides their orientation in schools, and 32% experienced violence of which at least half of the incidents were based on their sexual orientation. Discrimination against young people can have significant and long-term impacts affecting their health and well-being, future career prospects and levels of poverty and social exclusion (EU, 2015).

The question this double symposium tries to answer is: How are these European articles and initiatives translated at national levels, and how are education curricula adjusted to support sexual diversity and raise awareness and respect for these groups in educational practice?

Many European countries have established educational policies that help schools enact respectfully regarding sexual diversity, or are busy establishing such policies. The Consortium of Institutes for Development and Research in Education in Europe (CIDREE) brings together researchers, policy makers and practitioners of six European countries in the field of sexual diversity, curriculum development and educational practice. These cases will show how European policy is translated in national policies (or not), and how research informs national curriculum choices and the final enactment in the classroom. This symposium is part of a double symposium presenting the national perspectives of Scotland, Iceland, France, Hungary, Ireland and the Netherlands. Based on these six case, we will derive some shared lessons on what works in these diverse settings, and what could be identified as elements of a shared approach.

European Union (2012). Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:12012P/TXT&from=EN European Union (2015). Overview of youth discrimination in the European Union Report 2015. Brussels: European Commission, Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers. http://ec.europa.eu/justice/discrimination/files/overview_youth_discrimination_en.pdf EU Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers (2015). List of Actions by the European Commission to advance LGBTI equality. http://ec.europa.eu/justice/discrimination/files/lgbti_actionlist_en.pdf