General Public More Worried About School Bullying Than Parents & Pupils Are.

The general public is over-concerned by the problem of bullying in England's schools, research suggests.

Some 80% of people surveyed for the Department for Children, Schools and Families thought it was a big problem.

However, 84% of parents and 75% of young people aged 10 to 19 did not think it a problem; 60% of youngsters saying the situation was improving.

Researchers interviewed 3,000 children, parents and members of the general public on growing up in England.

As a rule, young people and parents were more positive about growing up in England than the general public.

But the majority of all three groups said they felt England was a good country to grow up in, with 90% of young people, 74% of parents and 71% of the general public agreeing with the statement.

And a high proportion of young people (83%) felt schools and colleges prepared them very or quite well for working life.

This compared with 57% of parents and 53% of the general public.

There was also a difference between the views of all three audiences on the quality of publicly-funded education.

Across all three groups, secondary schools were not rated as highly as primary schools and nurseries.

But the majority of all groups - 66% of general public, 74% of parents and 88% of young people - rated secondary schools as good.

Both adults and young people agreed that disadvantaged youngsters faced greater hurdles than their richer peers.

Some 80% of parents and the general public said it was more difficult for low income students to go to university. And 74% of young people felt the same.

England's Schools Secretary Ed Balls said he was pleased so many children, young people and parents were positive about England being a good country in which to grow up.

"But we still haven't reached our aim of becoming the best in the world.

"In the Children's Plan we set out how we can do that with investment in play and youth activities and by making sure young people have excellent education and are put on the path to success."

It was vital that the government listen to parents, young people and children's views as it made policy, he added.

Last year a report for children's charity Unesco placed the UK at the bottom of a league table for child well-being across 21 industrialised countries.

The report was based on 40 indicators including poverty, family relationships, and health from the years 2000-03.



With thanks to BBC News bbc.co.uk/news for this news item.