Stephen Williams MP starts Commons investigation into school bullying
May 11, 2006 10:47 AM
Liberal Democrat MP for Bristol West, Stephen Williams, has arranged for the Education Select Committee to have its first discussion on bullying. As part of the wider discussion they heard evidence specifically on the issue of homophobic bullying. As a result of this discussion , Liberal Democrat Shadow Education Secretary, Sarah Teather MP has introduced an amendment to the Education and Inspections Bill to impose a statutory duty on schools to implement policies to tackle homophobic bullying.
Commenting Sarah Teather MP said, "Homophobic bullying is an issue for the whole school, not just for a victimised minority. This is not a matter of 'political correctness' but about pupil behaviour and the right of parents to feel confident that their child will be safe in school. Improving the situation in schools is down to effective school leadership and getting the entire school community to accept that all pupils should be treated with respect.
"No-one would pretend that we have won the battle with racism in school. However it is normal in the vast majority of schools for every pupil to understand that racism is regarded as unacceptable. We need to urgently work towards a situation where homophobia and homophobic bullying of all kinds are regarded as equally unacceptable."
Stephen Williams MP added, "I have my own painful memories of homophobic abuse at my time in school and it's a subject that has been ignored for too long, even in other debates on bullying. Thousands of pupils are suffering unnecessarily because of the ignorance or indifference of school leaders.
"It is a huge step forward when every pupil is aware of where their school stands on the issue of homophobic bullying. Publicly agreed school policies provide a vital point of reference for gay and lesbian pupils and staff who experience bullying at school."
The Education Select Committee heard evidence from Ofsted, Kidscape - a charity campaigning on all aspects of bullying and EACH - Education Action Challenging Homophobia. EACH is a national charity based in Clifton, Bristol. Two headteachers also gave evidence.
Stephen Williams comments, "It was clear from the hearing that the collection of statistics on bullying is patchy and probably show just the tip of the iceberg. The key to tackling bullying lies in extensive training of teachers and leadership on the issue by heads. There needs to be more guidance for schools on how to give emotional support to the victims of bullying. I'm sure our meeting will lead to improvements and make a real difference to the lives of children."
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