Are LGBTQ+ pupils at risk of dropping out before finishing secondary education?

LGBTQ+ students in the UK are dropping out of education at a rate of more than twice the national average.

The alarming new international study by the global children’s charity Theirworld suggests nearly a quarter (24.8%) of LGBTQ+ students in the UK do not complete secondary school (11-16), compared to 12.1% across the country’s education system.

The startling figures build on earlier research, which revealed widespread bullying and discrimination in schools towards LGBTQ+ pupils in UK schools.

In fact, nearly half of the nation’s LGBTQ+ youth say they have faced hostility in educational settings, with more than one in four saying they did not or do not feel safe at school.

Aston spoke to Laura MacKay, CEO of Just Like Us.

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