“EVERY pupil must feel safe to speak out” about sexual misconduct after stark figures show multiple exclusions in schools.
Figures from the Department of Education show Southend schools temporarily excluded students five times for sexual misconduct between 2018 and 2019, which was one more than the year before.
Exclusions happened in four secondary schools and one primary school.
Across the rest of Essex there were 53 exclusions, down from 55 in the year before, with 49 happening in secondary-schools.
The figures come after the government launched a review into sexual abuse in schools following thousands of testimonies from students claiming to be victims online.
The website Everyone’s Invited has more than 14,000 posts from children as young as nine detailing alleged sexual abuse at school or university.
Jerry Glazier, secretary for the Essex branch of the National Education Union, said the problem is more widespread than the teaching profession thought.
Jerry Glazier
He said: “I think as a union we are extremely concerned to hear some of the allegations that have emerged over the last few weeks.
“I think it will cause schools to review their policies to enable schools to feel safe and enable pupils to report if they are being treated or touched in a totally unacceptable way.
“Schools need to be on top of bullying and on top of this issue as well, and I think schools do as much as possible.”
The exclusions in Southend were among 1,972 sexual misconduct related incidents across England throughout that year.
Mr Glazier added: “If you’re in a family where you are being abused you have got to disclose.
“It’s no different, but just a bit shocking that it’s more widespread than the profession thought.”
A Southend Council spokesman said that sexual misconduct cases are low among the 28,500 pupils in the borough.
They said: “The council works very closely with schools to address any worrying behaviour and when it comes to temporarily or permanently excluding any pupil for any reason and offer support to address the underlying issues of that pupil’s behaviour.
“When a school responds to a sexual misconduct report, the Council also helps support the victim and their family.
“There has been a lot of work in the past two years to develop the relationship and sex education curriculum for Southend schools, to educate pupils on what is and isn’t acceptable behaviour.”
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