CYPE(6)-24-22 – Papur i’w nodi 4

Information submitted by NEU Cymru Wales in response to the letter sent on the 26 September about sexual harassment of school staff.

Sexual harassment of female school staff

NEU Cymru Wales submission to Senedd Children, Young People and Education Committee inquiry, November 2022

Dear Chair,

Whilst we have seen Peer-on-peer sexual harassment as a widespread issue for young people in Wales, it seems that the situation with pupil to education professional sexual harassment is more difficult to gauge at present. We have certainly received anecdotal evidence that it is happening in Wales, but these are incidents which rarely come to the attention of the union as they are either dealt with locally - and often seem to be worryingly dismissed as 'banter' in the cases which have been brought to our attention.

It is our belief that the RSE curriculum should be taken seriously by everyone, and that dignity and respect for everyone should be included as fundamental within that curriculum. As we said in our evidence on peer of peer sexual harassment, it is critical that schools acknowledge the often gender-based nature of such harassment.

The workplace should be a safe space for everyone, and working in an environment of dignity and respect is a critical right, therefore any local behaviour policy should deal explicitly with this issue.

Yours sincerely,

David Evans,

Wales Secretary, NEU Cymru