8 December 2021
Responding to Estyn’s report on sexual harassment, Prof Sally Holland said:
“I want to thank the young people that have spoken out to inform this report. Young people need to know that sexual harassment is never acceptable and should always be taken seriously. Welsh Government must now urgently ensure professionals have learning opportunities in this area and that education settings can develop whole-school approaches that prevent sexual harassment and uphold young people’s rights. That said, this is definitely not all about schools and colleges; we cannot look solely to them to solve a huge societal issue. School culture will always mirror wider society; this is everybody’s issue.
“But I think one of the most significant steps we can take is making sure that from the earliest age children know the rights and wrongs of relationships, and how to conduct them with respect and equality. Some will say that these are issues for the home, but the findings should be a wakeup call to anyone who still doubts that mandatory, high-quality Relationships and Sexuality education is needed.”