Select committee: Women and Equalities Committee
Conclusion 5
Fifth Report - Attitudes towards women and girls in educational settings
Published 5 Jul 2023
Paragraph 26
Addressed to Government Equalities Office
Women and Equalities Committee Attitudes towards women and girls in educational settings All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
The Online Safety Bill is a landmark piece of legislation with the potential to significantly tackle violence against women and girls, in part through the regulation of online pornography. It presents an opportunity to address issues such as boys cyberflashing hardcore pornographic images at girls, the Airdropping of nude images and other forms of sexual harassment. However, those responsible for the safety of girls in educational settings should not wait for the Bill to become law to tackle this behaviour. Head teachers must do more to address the harmful use of mobile devices on school and college premises. Government guidance should make clear the harmful effect such technology can have and the Department for Education and Ofsted should improve their monitoring of its impact in educational settings and the effectiveness of school leaders in tackling this corrosive problem.
From: Women and Equalities Committee, Fifth Report - Attitudes towards women and girls in educational settings (HC 331), paragraph 26, 5 July 2023
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 17 November 2023.
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The Government, Ofsted and the Office for Students responded to the Committee's report, with the Government stating that it is "considering" extending compulsory RSHE to post-16 settings and pointing to existing guidance, funding and the Office for Students' work in other areas.
- On school safeguarding funding, the Government says "It is for schools to decide how best to meet these strengthened duties and funding is available through core schools funding."
- On the call for an evaluation of Keeping Children Safe in Education within six months, the Government says the guidance is updated annually, with "the next consultation of the guidance" to be launched "later this year".
- On RSHE, a review of the statutory guidance is "underway" with a "full public consultation"; following publication of updated guidance, the Department will update teacher training modules and "assess further support needed".
- Ofsted says it "agree[s]" it is important to monitor technology's impact, but that gathering evidence on abuse of female staff "is not a specific inspection focus"; the Office for Students expects to publish its consultation decisions "early in 2024".