Ukip calls for medical checks for girls at risk of FGM in schools

School leaders are outraged after Ukip has proposed that girls at risk of female genital mutilation (FGM) be forced to have school-based medical checks regularly.

The proposal is outlined in the Ukip manifesto and includes an “integration agenda” which states that the party intends to “implement school-based medical checks on girls from groups at high risk of suffering FGM.

The proposal states that these checks should take place annually and when pupils return from trips abroad.

According to Tes, Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said that the proposal was ”not sensible, not practical and not ethical” and that it is not an idea they would want to support.

He continued: "There are certain limits to what we should ask teachers to be doing.

"We want them to be spending their time teaching, not doing anything that would put them at risk of safeguarding accusations."

Teachers are required to report known cases of FGM to the police, however, a survey conducted by children’s charity Barnardo’s found that one in five teachers had no understanding of it.

In addition to this, 80 per cent thought that they were legally obliged to report to the police any girls they believed were at risk, but they are only required to report known cases.