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Bexley Council supports LGBTQ+ education across state schools
EB News: 26/04/2024 - 11:43
Conservative and Labour groups of Bexley Council have agreed to support LGBTQ+ education for young people in all state schools across the borough.
The motion was put forward by Labour Councillor Stefano Borella at a Bexley Council meeting Wednesday this week (24 April).
It encouraged the council to recognise that a comprehensive and positive education on healthy relationships and sex is required by all children.
The motion cited data from LGBTQ+ education charity Just Like Us which found that nearly half of LGBTQ+ pupils in the UK felt unsafe at school in 2023.
In 2021, the charity also found that almost half (42 per cent) of LGBTQ+ school pupils have been bullied in the past year, double the number of non-LGBT+ pupils (21 per cent).
The Conservative amendment, put forward by Councillor Patrick Adams, agreed with the original motion that all publicly funded schools in Bexley should provide information to young people about healthy relationships, including those which are LGBTQ+.
It added that the authority welcomed the actions of its equality, diversity and inclusion policy and was committed to working with partners to support all communities in the borough.
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