UK Education News

Bullying against gay pupils has reduced, a study suggests, but many still face victimisation.

Survey shows that many also face death threats and homophobic abuse Almost half of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) pupils are still facing bullying at school about their sexuality, a new research reveals. The survey of more than 3,700 LGBT secondary pupils, conducted by the equalities charity Stonewall, also found that two in five have also been the target of homophobic abuse online. The survey found that, while homophobic bullying has decreased since 2012, 45 per cent of LGBT pupils are still being bullied in school. And 52 per cent of LGBT pupils say that they hear homophobic slurs frequently or often at school. Louis, a 13-year-old at a secondary school in the South-West, told Stonewall: “They said I should kill myself because I had no friends.” Death threats Nine per cent of trans pupils said that they had been subjected to death threats at school. And 40 per cent of LGBT students had been the target of online homophobic bullying. Amy, an 18-year-old at a single-sex secondary school in the South-East, told Stonewall: “I started getting death threats online after I came out. I told my head of year, but they just told me to come off the internet. It carried on for years.” Such experiences have taken a toll on pupils' mental health. More than four out of five (84 per cent) of trans pupils admit to having self-harmed, as do three out of five (61 per cent) lesbian, gay and bisexual pupils. Almost half – 45 per cent – of trans pupils have attempted suicide, as have 22 per cent of lesbian, gay and bisexual students. Ruth Hunt, chief executive of Stonewall, said: “Our school years are one of the most formative periods of our lives, and we owe it to young LGBT people to ensure they don't face discrimination or bullying because of who they are.” Inclusive The survey did, however, show that schools were much more likely to condemn homophobic bullying than in previous years. Seven in 10 LGBT pupils reported that their schools had said homophobic bullying was wrong, compared with half in 2012 and only a quarter in 2007. But only one in five – 20 per cent – of those questioned said that they had been taught in school about how to have safe sex in the context of a same-sex relationship. Ms Hunt said: “Now that compulsory relationships and sex education is set to become a reality in England, it's vital that the government's guidance ensures that these lessons are always inclusive of LGBT issues and same-sex relationships.” Want to keep up with the latest education news and opinion? Follow Tes on Twitter and like Tes on Facebook.​

News comes as schools in Northern Ireland benefit from £100m package agreed in Conservative DUP deal Seventy per cent of London school leaders have already experienced budget cuts, according to a Tes survey. Headteachers in the capital have said they are operating "on a shoestring" and have warned they will have to "absolutely slash" staff if there are further funding reductions. 'Talking Heads', a survey of nearly 400 London heads and school leaders was conducted for London Councils by Tes, and Shift Learning. It found that 70 per cent of London school leaders who responded to the survey have already experienced budget cuts - 10 per cent more than those in the rest of England. Over the next two years, 91 per cent of those surveyed are expecting their budget to decrease. More than 80 per cent believe that the quality of their school's environment will be harmed by further cuts and more than 70 per cent feel that pupil outcomes will be negatively affected. "Managing budgets" is ranked by London heads as the number one challenge they face, whereas outside of the capital it is the second highest challenge identified by school leaders. Nearly half (47 per cent) of secondary school heads in London say they have already reduced the breadth of their curriculum to deal with the cuts, while 70 per cent of primary school heads report they have already cut teaching assistants. The news of the Talking Heads survey comes amidst continuing uncertainty over how much money will be made available to English schools. However, it was announced today that schools and hospitals in Northern Ireland would receive an extra £100 million over the next two years as part of the deal with the Democratic Unionist Party to sustain the minority Conservative government. One Talking Heads participant, the headteacher of a primary academy in outer London, said: “We're already on a shoestring as it is. Any more cuts, it's going to be staffing, and that's going to have an impact, and it's going to be a negative impact. Our results may well dip as a result of it.” Another head, who leads a primary maintained school in inner London, said: “I cannot see any way other than that teaching and learning is going to suffer and we'll have to just absolutely slash the number of adults or shut the school." A third head said their school had "cut everything that can be cut" and might have to lay off staff, but added: "I honestly don't know if we could afford that because there's no money for redundancy". Councillor Peter John, deputy chair of London Councils and executive member with responsibility for schools, said the research painted "bleak picture of the financial challenges threatening the future of London's education system". He added: “We're calling on government to recognise that schools are facing significant additional cost pressures, and to protect school funding in real terms to address these pressures."

We are continuing to work with Pearson as it investigates and responds to the allegations of exam malpractice or wrongdoing involving its qualifications. We recognise the concerns of students and parents, and are absolutely committed to maintaining public confidence in these qualifications. Students should continue to prepare for their forthcoming exams as normal, and we will work with Pearson so that students get the result their performance deserves as papers are marked and awarded this summer. We would like to thank all those that have contacted us, and continue to urge anyone who may have relevant information to contact Pearson or us in confidence. Contact Pearson: pqsmalpractice@pearson.com Contact Ofqual: public.enquiries@ofqual.gov.uk

The symbolic dispute over a threatened Budapest university has moved to talks in New York.

We are aware of the allegations of malpractice or wrongdoing in relation to Edexcel's C4 maths paper taken today. We are working with Pearson to establish the facts and any action that may need to be taken to ensure that the examinations are fair and that standards are maintained. If anyone has information relevant to these allegations we would urge them to contact Pearson or us in confidence. pqsmalpractice@pearson.com public.enquiries@ofqual.gov.uk