“They must either hide their true personality and inclinations in order to be accepted or they’re pushed to the fringes and made to feel abnormal.”
There’s always a period of being an outsider for any kid moving to a new school. After a few weeks they find some friends. End of story.
In the Catholic school I attended, one child was identified as the “class goat,” early in First Grade. His life was a living hell for eight years. Teachers did nothing. His parents did nothing.
It was attitudes like yours—trivializing what was going on—that made this possible.