Preventing sexism and harassment in schools

SCHOOL leader Kari Anson has become the first in the country to sign up to the union’s pledge to prevent sexism and sexual harassment at her school.

The union is calling on all schools to publicly make the pledge.

Kari attended a one-day conference in September to launch It’s not ok, a toolkit for implementing a wholeschool approach to tackling sexism and harassment.

It includes posters, model policies, template letters, lesson plans and chatcasts with teachers who have done innovative work to address the issues.

The scale of the problem, which is experienced by staff and students in schools, has been a growing concern since the union and charity UK Feminista published a groundbreaking report in 2017 titled It’s just everywhere. It found 37 per cent of female students at mixed schools had been sexually harassed, and 78 per cent were not aware of any policies in their school to tackle sexism.

Last year, the Government asked Ofsted to carry out a rapid review, which concluded that sexism and sexual harassment has become “normalised” in schools.

The NEU has been at the forefront of the fight to end sexism and sexual harassment in schools and the It’s not ok toolkit offers practical advice on what members can do in their workplaces.

A panel that included Louise Regan, NEU executive member for equality and membership, Heather McKenzie, chair of the women’s organising forum, Charlotte Carson and Denise Henry, seat holder for Black members, discussed how to organise to prevent sexism and sexual harassment in schools.

Members also attended a range of workshops.

Go