Girls are at a disadvantage in some faith schools and Ministers
need to be braver in facing up to this, OFSTED’s Chief Inspector
of Schools has told the BBC.
Speaking to Emma Barnett on BBC Radio 5 Live, Amanda Spielman
says she is “worried” and “frustrated” that boys get more support
and opportunities in some faith schools than girls. She says she
has raised these concerns before, but “it’s one of those
too-hot-to-handle-issues,” and that nothing ever changes.
She says that it’s time to address the issue, and that Ministers
at the Department of Education need to ‘get brave’ in facing it
head-on.
Ms Spielman was speaking on the launch of her annual
report. She was asked about a Birmingham school where some boys
were given more sport and work experience opportunities than
girls.
An Ofsted report of Redstone Academy said: "Boys enjoy
school more than girls. This is because they are treated
favourably and have more privileges.”
Asked how she felt about reports like this, Ms Spielman
said:
“I’m really worried about this. We’ve seen it in a good
many schools now, I’ve talked about it over and over again and
you can feel that it’s one of those ‘too hot to handle’ issues. I
do interviews like this, I talk about it, and then nothing. It
drops out of sight because so many people are so uncomfortable
about talking about these really, really difficult places…We can
judge them inadequate. We can explain in our reports the nature
and extent of the problems, but it sits entirely with others to
decide what the right course of action is.”
EB: So for instance, in this school, you can correct me if
I’m wrong, it was private. So where it’s a private school would
that be the department for education?
AS: It would yes. They are the regulator of independent
schools so enforcement action of any kind is for them.
EB: Are you frustrated then that ministers need to do more
because you say it’s “too hot to handle” and you raise it and
then nothing.
AS: I have been frustrated; there are a number of
independent schools that we have found inadequate, repeatedly
over the years where children are just not getting a decent
education, where there are many faults around quality of
education, around safeguarding, around issues like unfair
discrimination between what girls get and what boys get. There
are problems in many places on these kind of issues and it is
important that we start getting brave about them.
EB: So ministers need to get brave?
AS: Absolutely.
EB: In the Department for Education?
AS: Yes.
Source: BBC Radio 5 Live The Emma Barnett
Show
