NEWS: Tameside schools pilot anti-sexism program

As reported by CYP Now, Tameside Council launches an eight-week pilot program in primary schools to address sexism, harassment, and promote healthy relationships among students

Online behaviour, objectification of women, consent, and healthy relationships are also being looked at.

The trial starts in three primary schools this school year, with secondary schools in the area set to join from September.

The pilot, commissioned by Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council, takes place in schools for between eight and 10 weeks and is being delivered by the charity TLC: Talk, Listen Change.

It has been developed in partnership with local safeguarding leads, teachers, parents and pupils amid concerns around a rise in sexist attitudes and harassment of girls.

The sessions also look at creating safer schools for women and girls.

The council cites research by the charity Safe Lives, which showed nearly half of boys and a third of girls aged 13 and 14 think hitting a partner is “okay”.

A separate survey by End Violence Against Women Coalition found that just under a third of girls do not feel safe from sexual harassment in school.

“The sad fact is that we’ve seen a shocking rise in sexism in our schools over the past few years,” said TLC service manager John Hughes.

“Many children now have near limitless access to a range of potentially harmful online content that is being spread by hugely influential online figures.

“This content is negatively influencing a generation of young people and has the potential to impact the safety of women and girls throughout the school system.

“That’s why this new pilot is so important. We need to be having frank, honest conversations with children that might be exposed to these attitudes and help them to understand how to build healthy relationships and how to support each other.”

Jonathan Hobday, headteacher at one of the schools involved Hurst Knoll St James’ CE Primary School, said: “Governors, teachers and parents are all concerned about the content being accessed by young people, especially online, and want them to have the knowledge and understanding to challenge inappropriate content and to be an ally for those being targeted.

“By working together with our young people and their families, we hope to make the world a safer, more welcoming place for everyone.”

Tameside Council’s executive member of population health Eleanor Wills hopes pupils involved will “come away from the sessions feeling informed, heard and empowered”.

Other councils running education programmes to tackle sexism in schools include the London borough of Redbridge. It is trialling an initiative across three secondary schools “to give young people the tools to be ‘active bystanders’”, said one school staff member involved.