What was acceptable when he was at Southgate Comprehensive in the early 80s is not acceptable now, he says. And an issue close to his heart, as one of Britain's few senior openly gay politicians, is homophobic bullying.
He points to a survey of 300 secondary schools last year which found that 82 per cent of teachers were aware of verbal homophobic bullying in their schools, and 26 per cent were aware of physical incidents.
"The problem is massive," he says. "Twenty years ago people wouldn't have had the confidence to even say that they were being bullied, but we have seen recently that young people have more confidence to talk about it.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
