Chapter 10: Education - Equality and Human Rights Commission

Chapter 10: Education 317
The Equality Measurement Framework recommended a measure that looks
at levels of dignity and respect within the education system. However the data
available for this measure are very limited, therefore reported levels of bullying
is being used as a proxy measure for this indicator.
The data do not show the frequency of the bullying, only whether or not a pupil
has been bullied in a given time period. Large-scale surveys do not collect data
on religion or belief, sexual orientation or transgender. Other literature has been
drawn on for these groups and findings are indicative only of the issues that
these groups may face.
Special Educational Needs (SEN) is used to measure disability (disaggregated by
impairment types where possible). In England and Wales, pupils with SEN are
those who require special support as a result of a learning difficulty or disability;
disabled pupils represent a sub-set of all pupils with SEN.
Free School Meal (FSM) eligibility is used as a measure for parental low income
and social class. 34 The Census occupational categories are used as a means to
report on socio-economic differences.
Overview
Many young people have to navigate the educational system while
being treated unfairly. In 2008 the United Nations Committee on the Rights
of the Child expressed concern at the extent of bullying in schools. 35 Some surveys
indicate between a third and a half of children in the UK think that bullying is a
problem in their school.
Chapter 10
Disabled students, lesbian, gay and transgender students and those
from lower socio-economic groups are all more likely to report
experiencing high levels of bullying. Surveys suggest that of those sampled,
learning disabled and LGBT young people stand out as groups where the majority
have experienced bullying. Cyberbullying is now estimated to affect around in 1
in 3 of secondary age young people and may begin to change the pattern of groups
most affected by bullying, though further research is required. 36
34
For discussion about the relationship between Free School Meal eligibility,
parental income and social class see Hills, J. et al. 2010. Page 88.
35
United Nations 2008.
36
Cross, E.J., Richardson, B, Douglas, T. and Vonkaenel-Flatt, J. 2009. Virtual
Violence: Protecting Children from Cyberbullying. London: Beatbullying.