A toddler who was accused of being transphobic or homophobic was suspended from nursery.
Data from the Department for Education (DfE) showed a child aged three or four, was suspended from a state school in the academic year 2022/23 for “abuse against sexual orientation and gender identity,” according to a freedom of information request (FOI) by The Telegraph.
Although the school has not disclosed any further details of the incident, data does show 94 pupils at state primary schools were suspended or permanently excluded for homophobia or transphobia in 2022/23.
Ten of the suspended pupils were from year one and three were from year two where the maximum age is seven.
It also showed one child was of nursery age, according to the newspaper.
Latest DfE data from the autumn term in 2023 also revealed 82 pupils were suspended for the same reason.
The data, which has only been collected since the 2020/21 academic year, also showed the number of pupils suspended or expelled for homophobic or transphobic behaviour increased from 164 in 2021/22 to 178 in 2022/23.
Figures for the autumn term in 2023 revealed all suspensions, not just for homophobia and transphobia, increased by 41 per cent among primary school pupils and permanent exclusions increased by a third.
“All pupils and staff should feel safe and protected at school and should never face violence or abuse,” a Department for Education spokesperson told The Independent.
“The Education Secretary has been clear that she expects school leaders to enforce good behaviour, and we are committed to a comprehensive programme of behaviour support for schools.
“Our Plan for Change sets out our relentless focus on making sure every child gets the best life chances, no matter their background, including establishing free breakfast clubs in every primary school, providing access to mental health support and making attendance one of the four core priorities of our school improvement teams.”
The prime minister’s official spokesman said it was hard to comment on the specific case because of the anonymity involved, but he added: “The PM would not support those sorts of measures.
“Pupils and staff should never be subject to abuse, but any action taken to tackle behaviour should also be proportionate.”
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