Data reveals Black girls are twice as likely to be excluded from school compared to white girls
The data released in the last quater of 2021 also uncovered that Gypsy Roma girls faced rates of permanent exclusion which were more than four times higher compared to White British girls.
The charity Agenda, which is an alliance of more than 50 charities advocating for change for women and girls who are at risk, submitted an Freedom of Information (FOI) request.
Other key statistics found that although boys continue to face higher rates of exclusion overall, there was a 66% rise of girls facing permanent exclusion in the five years prior to the coronavirus pandemic, compared to a 27% increase for boys.
Jemima Olchawski, CEO of Agenda shares her thoughts regarding the new findings. She said:
“The data we collected through our FOI request found an unacceptable and persistent over-representation of Black and minoritised girls amongst children excluded from school".
"Black and minoritised girls and young women tell us that they aren’t being listened to and that racist stereotypes mean their needs are being ignored. With the long-term harms associated with exclusion well established this isn’t a trend we can allow to continue". Jemima Olchawski
"The Department for Education must routinely publish data relating to school exclusions broken down by sex and ethnicity and take action on the racial disparities that exist within the education sector".