Commenting on an Estyn report which has found that pupils have been subject to sexual harassment, Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Education, Laura Anne Jones MS said:
“Sexual abuse in any form is completely unacceptable and young person should feel that this is a normal part of their daily lives – schools are places of safety, not harmful behaviours that are tolerated instead of tackled.
“This report is hugely distressing and highlights the tragic situation students find themselves in with the prevalence of peer-on-peer sexual harassment in our schools.
“Students are far more likely to confide in their peers rather than teachers, and this can lead to schools being blind to the scale of harassment occurring in classrooms and on school yards.
“There are clearly wider societal issues at play but working with parents we need to develop a whole-school approach to tackle these issues so we can create the safe and secure environments that our young people deserve.”