"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."
"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."
