Looming Legacy of Section 28

As a parent, I expect my child’s experience of school to be fun, broad ranging, challenging and rewarding.

I also expect school to be a place where all children feel safe, included and encouraged to reach their full potential. At Stonewall Cymru we know that our experiences at school stay with us our whole life. Education has the ability to lift children out of poverty, enrich their lives and help them see the world through other people’s eyes. A poor experience can limit personal development, damage confidence and have a negative impact on long term prospects.

The Teachers’ Report presents a picture of daily life in Wales’ classrooms. It shows that despite the perceived progress of recent years there is an awful lot left to do. It is heart breaking that more than two in five primary school teachers and almost nine in ten secondary school teachers surveyed say that pupils in their school experience homophobic bullying. Homophobic language remains stubbornly prevalent even at primary school, and worryingly, many of those surveyed hear it from other school staff. It beggars belief that more than a decade after Section 28 was repealed a majority of school staff surveyed say that their school does not allow them to teach about lesbian, gay and bisexual issues or that they don’t know if they are allowed.

Teachers are our most powerful resource in tackling prejudice and bullying.

There are encouraging signs in the report which show a strong desire among school staff in Wales to improve the experiences of children and young people. The vast majority we surveyed believe that they have a duty to prevent and respond to homophobic bullying. They also say that different types of families and lesbian gay and bisexual issues should be addressed in schools. It is really encouraging that those who describe ways in which they tackle bullying report positive effects and those who have addressed issues in the classroom say they would do so again.  Given this, it’s hugely disappointing that nine in ten primary and four in five secondary school staff surveyed have not received any specific training on these matters.

If Wales is to be prosperous, resilient, healthy and more equal, then our schools must be fully engaged in tackling bullying and prejudice, equipped with the tools to do so and held to account on their progress. The evidence we present here shows the need for greater, more coordinated action by all they key players including Welsh Government, Estyn, local authorities, education consortia  and teacher training providers.

The Wales we want is one where every child and young person can reach their full potential. We will achieve this by tackling all forms of bullying and prejudice. This was our founding vision, and it remains our top priority today.

For more information and a copy of the full report, please go to: http://www.stonewallcymru.org.uk/teachersreport

Andrew White  is the Director of Stonewall Cymru and tweets at @andrewgwyn

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