Education secretary ‘open minded’ on England smacking ban

The training secretary has mentioned she is “open minded” to a ban on smacking youngsters in England, however that there are not any imminent plans to alter the regulation.

It comes after recent requires a ban in England by Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza, who urged adopting related measures already in place in Scotland and Wales.

Asked if she helps that proposal, Bridget Phillipson advised the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg that the federal government is “considering it” however laws wouldn’t be introduced ahead “any time soon”.

Children’s charity the NSPCC referred to as on new laws “as soon as possible” as there was “mounting evidence” that bodily disciplining youngsters might be “damaging”.

Speaking on Sunday morning, Phillipson mentioned she was eager to listen to from Dame Rachel and different consultants “on how [a ban] would work”.

She added that she thought “we do need to look at how we keep children safe”.

Phillipson added that the upcoming Children’s Wellbeing Bill, which is anticipated to be launched “by the end of the year”, will tackle lots of the points regarding youngsters’s care and safeguarding.

Anna Edmundson, head of coverage on the NSPCC, advised the BBC that calls had tripled to the charity’s helpline from adults involved about the usage of bodily punishment on youngsters.

In a press release she added: “That is why we want the Government to legislate as soon as possible to give children in England the same protection from assault afforded to adults and already in place for children in Scotland and Wales.”

Other charities, including Barnardo’s, have also long called for an English smacking ban and two-thirds of English people polled by YouGov in March last year said physically disciplining a child is not acceptable.

In England and Northern Ireland it is legal for a carer or parent to discipline their child physically if it is a “affordable” punishment – but the Children Act 2004 made it illegal to assault a child causing actual or grievous bodily harm.

The previous Conservative government argued parents should be trusted to discipline their children and there were “clear legal guidelines in place” to prevent violence.

The Department for Education told the BBC earlier this week that it was now “wanting carefully” at the law changes made in Scotland and Wales, which came into force in 2020 and 2022 respectively, to see whether more could be done in England.

Posting on X last week, Dame Rachel said a ban on any kind of corporal punishment, including smacking, hitting, slapping and shaking, could stop lower level violence from escalating.

“If we’re severe about holding each baby secure, it is time England takes this mandatory step,” she said.

“Too many youngsters have been harmed or killed by the hands of the individuals who ought to love and look after them most.”