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Select Committee · Women and Equalities Committee

Attitudes towards women and girls in educational settings

Status: Closed Opened: 9 Jun 2022 Closed: 28 May 2024 8 recommendations 6 conclusions 1 report

An inquiry to scrutinise how attitudes in educational settings, from early years to university, affect women and girls throughout their lives, drawing on an existing body of evidence including academic papers, reports and submissions to other Select Committee inquiries, including our predecessor Committee. This inquiry is part of the committee’s work into Preventing Violence Against … Show more

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Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Fifth Report - Attitudes towards women and girls in educati… HC 331 5 Jul 2023 14 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

3 items
4 Recommendation Fifth Report - Attitudes towards women … Deferred

Undertake evaluation of KCSiE guidance implementation, impact, and barriers within six months.

The Government should undertake an evaluation of how well schools are following the Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance and the impact that guidance is having in practice. The evaluation should include 33 scrutiny of any barriers preventing schools from implementing the guidance effectively. This evaluation should be completed within … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government responds by detailing its annual update and consultation process for the Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance, stating the next consultation will launch later this year, rather than committing to an evaluation of school adherence and impact.
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Government Equalities Office
13 Recommendation Fifth Report - Attitudes towards women … Deferred

Strengthen Office for Students' mandatory university requirements for tackling sexual harassment and violence.

The higher education sector has made progress in tackling sexual harassment and sexual violence, but that progress has been inconsistent and slow. The Office for Students (OfS) has committed to a new condition of registration which will place mandatory obligations on universities to tackle sexual harassment and sexual violence, which … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government notes that the OfS's public consultation results on mandatory obligations for universities to tackle sexual harassment will be published soon, with new measures in force in 2024.
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Government Equalities Office
14 Conclusion Fifth Report - Attitudes towards women … Deferred

Require all universities to implement compulsory bystander intervention programmes for first-year students.

The Office for Students’ condition of registration should require all universities to put in place compulsory evidence-based bystander intervention programmes for all first-year students. The Office for Students should strengthen its statement of expectations to ensure that universities provide that training. (Paragraph 71) 36 Read more

Government response AI summary
The Department for Education expects universities to comply with existing law and notes many already provide bystander training. The Office for Students' public consultation results will be published soon, with new measures to be in force in 2024, but it does not directly commit to …
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Government Equalities Office

Oral evidence sessions

5 sessions
Date Witnesses
12 Oct 2022 Andrea Jenkyns MP · Department for Education, Andrew Cook · Ofsted, Emma Davies · Department for Education, Kate Dixon · Department for Education, Kelly Tolhurst MP · Department for Education, Susan Lapworth · Office for Students, Yvette Stanley · Ofsted View ↗
21 Sep 2022 Session View ↗
7 Sep 2022 Ammaarah Faisal · Our Streets Now, Dr Melanie McCarry · University of Strathclyde, Dr Rachel Fenton · University of Exeter Law School, John Edmonds, Professor Cara Aitchison, Richie Benson · Beyond Equality View ↗
20 Jul 2022 Ammaarah Faisal · Our Streets Now, Dr Anni Donaldson · University of Strathclyde, Dr Rachel Fenton · University of Exeter Law School, John Edmonds, Professor Steve West · Universities UK, Richie Benson · Beyond Equality View ↗
28 Jun 2022 Dr Yuwei XU · University of Nottingham, UK, Jenny Barksfield · PSHE Association, Keziah Featherstone · Q3 Academy Tipton, Professor Nicky Stanley · University of Central Lancashire, Soma Sara · Everyone's Invited, Susie McDonald · Tender Arts & Education View ↗

Who gave evidence

21 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Ammaarah Faisal · Student Ambassador and Head of Research for Highe… Our Streets Now 2
Dr Rachel Fenton · Associate Professor University of Exeter Law School 2
John Edmonds — 2
Richie Benson · Universities Project Lead Beyond Equality 2
Andrea Jenkyns MP · Minister for Skills Department for Education 1
Andrew Cook · Her Majesty's Inspector and Regional Director for… Ofsted 1
Dr Anni Donaldson · Honorary Research Fellow University of Strathclyde 1
Dr Melanie McCarry · Senior Lecturer of School of Social Work & Social… University of Strathclyde 1
Dr Yuwei XU · Assistant Professor in Education and Teacher Deve… University of Nottingham, UK 1
Emma Davies · Deputy Director in the Higher Education Quality, … Department for Education 1
Jenny Barksfield · Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Education PSHE Association 1
Kate Dixon · Director of Pupil Wellbeing and Safety Department for Education 1
Kelly Tolhurst MP · Minister for Schools and Childhood Department for Education 1
Keziah Featherstone · Headteacher Q3 Academy Tipton 1
Professor Cara Aitchison — 1
Professor Nicky Stanley · Professor of Social Work University of Central Lancashire 1
Professor Steve West · Professor Universities UK 1
Soma Sara · Founder and CEO Everyone's Invited 1
Susan Lapworth · Chief Executive Office for Students 1
Susie McDonald · Chief Executive Tender Arts & Education 1
Yvette Stanley · National Director for Regulation and Social Care Ofsted 1

Correspondence

1 letter
DateDirectionTitle
22 Mar 2023 To cttee Letter from the Office for Students relating to the attitudes towards women and…