Girls Speak
Agenda Alliance's campaign to ensure girls and young women facing inequality, poverty and violence get the support and protection they need.
28 Jul 2022
Statistics on permanent exclusions and suspensions in England for the school year 2020 to 2021 have been published by the Government today.
These reveal that the pandemic has taken its toll on girls most in terms of disciplinary action in schools. While the number of overall permanent exclusions of pupils has decreased (from 5,057 the previous year to 3,928), suspensions of girls increased by 20% compared to the year before. Suspensions for boys during the first year of Covid increased by 11%. This suggests that during a period of covid, school closures and upheaval, girls’ behaviour was more negatively affected – and harshly treated – than boys’.
In addition, it is feared, based on our research with girls and young women, that girls from Black and minoritised backgrounds will have been disproportionately affected.
Commenting on the data, Agenda’s Chief Executive, Indy Cross said:
“It’s deeply troubling to see our worst fears confirmed, that the pandemic hit girls hardest in terms of their education. The increasing suspension rate is something we at Agenda are really sad to see. School brings so many social benefits and the trauma of being away from friends and teachers, as well as being potentially exposed to additional risk while out of school through domestic abuse, sexual violence and criminal exploitation, seems to have been felt sharpest by girls.
“Rather than hitting the ‘tough discipline’ button when girls are seemingly being ‘disruptive’, everyone involved in their education needs to respond to the trauma that is most likely at its core. And as we all know, suspensions are too often the first step to permanent exclusion. This is why we need to look for long-term solutions, not quick fixes.
“It is now essential to face up to facts. The government must be transparent about the high rates of exclusion for Black and minoritised girls, in particular. If we’ve learnt anything from cases like the girl known as ‘Child Q’, we know unfair and traumatic treatment based on racial and gender stereotypes are too common. Education providers must come up with tailored solutions to address trauma in schools.”
Given this, Agenda recommends:
- The Department for Education (DfE) provides specific guidance on school suspensions and permanent exclusions according to gender, and which takes into account racial inequalities for Black and minoritised girls.
- More transparency in information to better understand the facts surrounding exclusions and suspensions according to sex and ethnicity.
Only with this guidance and data can education providers offer effective, tailored support for girls which takes into account their age and ethnicity.