Gay students — or students  who are perceived to be LGBTQ — are being told to “act less gay,” or to “wear their hair differently,” in the UK’s Essex County, a non-metropolitan area of close to two million mostly white people on the east site of England. A new report, published Tuesday by the Essex County Council, shows that teachers have not been trained to deal with anti-gay harassment issues, and that students have been instructed to essentially attempt to blend in, in order to not be targets of anti-gay bullying.
“I’ve been bullied and the teachers didn’t do much about it. It’s not that they don’t want to help, they just don’t know how,” one student reported, according to the Halstead Gazette.
The claims were revealed at a conference for more than 250 teachers and pupils. The event, hosted by the county council to tackle issues affecting children, has raised concern over how schools deal with bullying.
A spokesperson from charity Beatbullying said the incident highlight [sic] the “absolute need” for better guidance and support for teachers over how to deal with bullying.
“No-one should need to change how they behave, act or look. It’s about changing the behaviour of those who bully.
“There is a solution; better guidance for teachers and anti-bullying strategies in schools across the country. It’s important to educate both parents and children about bullying too.”
The Anti-Bullying Work publication also revealed teachers received “very little” training around bullying issues.
An Essex County Council spokesperson said they took the claims “very seriously”.
“The Young Essex Assembly held a conference to allow children to talk in an open and constructive environment about bullying within schools.
“All the information and anecdotal evidence gathered at the event will shape the work of the Young Essex Assembly.”
The council added they were currently developing an anti-bullying information pack, which will be given to trainee teachers to “help them cope with this serious issueâ€.
Towleroad, who broke the story in the U.S., offers the image above, the headline from the UK’s Weekly Standard, via Reddit.