MPs are calling on the government to put pressure on schools and colleges that flout their legal duty to support young victims of forced marriages.
Schools are required to promote forced marriage issues and local support available but in its report into the issue the parliamentary home affairs select committee said many are refusing for fear of offending local parents.
Among those to give evidence to the committee was Jasvinder Sanghera, co-founder of Karma Nirvana, which supports those fleeing forced marriages.
She wrote to 100 schools in March offering free training to teachers and to request putting the organisation’s posters up but just one school responded positively.
Another to give evidence, lawyer Cris McCurley, told MPs: "I work extensively with teenage girls from the Asian communities, none of whom have ever heard about forced marriage protection in schools."
Far too many teachers are unaware of how to respond to concerns from pupils at risk of forced marriage, the report also found.
It adds that reluctance by schools to tackle the issue is putting young people at risk of harm.
One victim told MPs: "I was 16. I was achieving good grades; I was achieving As and Bs. They took me out of college. The college didn't ask why I was going out, what was I going to do with my life, if I was going to carry on with my education.
"During this period of time, my college didn't contact my parents, they didn't contact me. They had my email address. No one bothered as to where I was, if I was okay, if I was still alive."
Michael Gove in his response to the committee said: "Schools will already be aware of the guidance available on forced marriage and I firmly believe that they are best placed to decided how to address the issue."
He added that there were no plans to make support for victims a compulsory part of the teacher-training curriculum, due to the "considerable pressure for new content".
The committee said it is disappointed by this response. It is calling for Ofsted inspectors to pay particular attention to schools’ efforts to deal with forced marriage issues and an annual reminder from the government to all schools of their responsibilities.
The committee also said that the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007, which can bring in protection orders for victims, was too weak and calls for forced marriages to become a criminal offence.
Among those to give evidence to the committee was Jasvinder Sanghera, co-founder of Karma Nirvana, which supports those fleeing forced marriages.
She wrote to 100 schools in March offering free training to teachers and to request putting the organisation’s posters up but just one school responded positively.
Another to give evidence, lawyer Cris McCurley, told MPs: "I work extensively with teenage girls from the Asian communities, none of whom have ever heard about forced marriage protection in schools."
Far too many teachers are unaware of how to respond to concerns from pupils at risk of forced marriage, the report also found.
It adds that reluctance by schools to tackle the issue is putting young people at risk of harm.
One victim told MPs: "I was 16. I was achieving good grades; I was achieving As and Bs. They took me out of college. The college didn't ask why I was going out, what was I going to do with my life, if I was going to carry on with my education.
"During this period of time, my college didn't contact my parents, they didn't contact me. They had my email address. No one bothered as to where I was, if I was okay, if I was still alive."
Michael Gove in his response to the committee said: "Schools will already be aware of the guidance available on forced marriage and I firmly believe that they are best placed to decided how to address the issue."
He added that there were no plans to make support for victims a compulsory part of the teacher-training curriculum, due to the "considerable pressure for new content".
The committee said it is disappointed by this response. It is calling for Ofsted inspectors to pay particular attention to schools’ efforts to deal with forced marriage issues and an annual reminder from the government to all schools of their responsibilities.
The committee also said that the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007, which can bring in protection orders for victims, was too weak and calls for forced marriages to become a criminal offence.
