Nearly half (46 per cent) of teachers have seen schoolchildren bullied or excluded by their peers for not owning clothes or goods that are branded, a new poll has revealed.
Conducted by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), the survey of 380 support staff, teachers and lecturers found that 85 per cent believe possessing fashionable clothes and branded goods is important to their pupils.
General secretary of ATL Dr Mary Bousted said there is huge pressure on youngsters to ‘fit in’.
“Schools and colleges should be places where all children feel equal, but it is virtually impossible for schools to protect their pupils from the harsher aspects of these commercial influences,”she remarked.
As more schools look towards commercial sponsors to provide much needed equipment, Dr Bousted added that this pressure could “intensify”. (Taken from the ATL website).
