UK: Brighton and Hove named best council for tackling homophobic bullying in schools
Stonewall has named Brighton and Hove City Council as the best in the country for tackling homophobic and biphobic bullying in schools.
Brighton topped the group’s 2014 Education Equality Index, which rates the performance of different councils using a wide range of measures. The victory was announced at Stonewall’s Education for All conference on Friday.
The council was praised for its work with local charity Allsorts.
Councillor Sue Shanks said: “I’m really proud to accept this award on behalf of the city council and our partners.
“We really do feel we’re making a difference in the lives of LGBT children in the city. There’s a long way to go, and we’re still working hard at it, but we do feel we’re on the right track.
“We want all our young people to be proud of who they are and to be able to make the best of their talents without fear or prejudice.
“In our schools young people are active participants in our anti-bullying work.
“We give them the chance to talk about their experiences and a lot of the excellent work Allsorts does is carried out by their young peer educators.
“This is a proud moment for our city. Our schools, the council’s Educational Standards and Achievement Team and Allsorts deserve a great deal of praise for all the hard work they put into this very important area.”
Hertfordshire County Council came in second place, followed by Wiltshire, Cambridgeshire, Bath & North East Somerset, and Bournemouth.
