'BME girls are more than twice as likely to be excluded from school as white girls'

A NEW report has revealed that black and minority ethnic (BME) girls in England are more than twice as likely to be excluded from school as their white counterparts, reported the Guardian.

It added that the number of girls excluded is increasing, with permanent exclusions of girls rising by 66 per cent over the last five years, compared with a 32 per cent increase among boys during the same time period.

The report prepared by Agenda, an alliance of more than 50 charities campaigning for the most excluded women and girls, also showed that black Caribbean girls were permanently excluded from school at a rate double that of white British girls in 2019-20, with this tripling for mixed white and Caribbean girls.

According to the report, girls from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities faced rates of permanent exclusion that were four times higher than those of white British girls.

The figures have led to calls for the department to routinely publish data relating to school exclusions broken down by sex and ethnicity, and take action on the racial disparities found, the Guardian report said.

The report also includes first-hand accounts of how girls and young women are often excluded from education after having experienced unaddressed sexual harassment and abuse, poor mental health, and racism.

It further said that negative stereotypes attached to black girls and young women, and those from minority ethnic backgrounds, play a critical role in their exclusion.

Jemima Olchawski, the CEO of Agenda, told the Guardian: “Black and minoritised girls and young women tell us that they aren’t being listened to and that racist stereotypes mean their needs are being ignored. With the long-term harms associated with exclusion well established, this isn’t a trend we can allow to continue.

“We’ve seen a once-in-a-generation crisis and the government’s recovery plan needs to reflect the scale of the challenge. It must address the ways racial inequalities contribute to school exclusions for black and minoritised girls and invest in specialist services that are able to address the impact of the trauma and disadvantage they’ve experienced.”

A staff member at an alternative provision school has pointed out that girls need a support network in place to speak out about their experience.

A department for education spokesperson has urged to consider any underlying causes of poor behaviour before making the decision to permanently exclude pupils.

“We back headteachers to suspend or permanently exclude pupils where this helps maintain calm classrooms that bring out the best in every child, but this should only be used as a last resort," the spokesperson told the Guardian.

“We know children and young people from some backgrounds are more likely to be excluded – that’s why we are working to deliver significantly improved outcomes for children and young people in alternative provision, who are most at risk of permanent exclusion.”