Black educators
Structural barriers such as racism, including assumptions about capabilities based on racial/ethnic stereotypes, are every day experiences for Black educators.
NEU members are working hard to make education accessible and inclusive where they work. We want a vision of education for the UK with equity and social justice at its heart. The NEU is a trade union which campaigns against inequality and prejudice. We publish teaching resources on different aspects of inequality; we commission research; and we publish practical guidance for NEU members about how to challenge the assumptions, ideas and stereotypes that lead to patterns of discrimination. Stereotypes stop children and young people doing things - check out our current publications, packed with ideas on how to use education to break the moulds that hold us back.
- Equality groups
- Women
- Sexual orientation and discrimination
- Transgender
- Age and race
- Religion and belief
- Resources
You can also browse the A-Z of our advice and guidance including all our advice on equalities, or take a look at the top five questions asked by members to our Advice Line.
The NEU is concerned that the Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi recently stated that education workers "have a duty to" inform parents if their child indicated they may be transgender.
This comes after the Government recently scrapped plans to ban so called ‘conversion therapy’ for trans and non-binary people. The NEU’s position is that the ban must extend to, and protect, trans and non-binary people equally. NHS England and other major psychological bodies in the UK have warned explicitly that all forms of conversion therapy are unethical and potentially harmful. Conversion therapy perpetuates prejudice and undermines the wellbeing and rights of LGBT+ people.
The NEU believes that the Education Secretary’s comments have no legal basis and contradict guidance from the NSPCC. The Education Secretary should withdraw these comments, confirm that staff are not required to disclose a child's LGBT+ identity, and that a child expressing that they are LGBT+ is not in itself a safeguarding concern. All education settings should have clear guidance on how they support trans and non-binary young people, so staff can feel confident in responding to students and confident about how concerns or questions can be referred under pastoral and/or safeguarding policies, as appropriate.
Instead of making such statements, the Education Secretary should work with the profession to disseminate and embed good practice in schools and colleges so every LGBT+ young person can thrive.
Equality groups
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LGBT+ equality
LGBT+ education professionals, pupils and families are vital members of all nursery, school and college communities and of our union.
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Disability
The NEU works with disabled education professionals and pupils to abolish disablism and discrimination.
Gender
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Advice 
Challenging Sexism in schools
Share our ground-breaking report on sexism and sexual harassment in schools.
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Menopause
Advice on working through the menopause, guides and checklists for leaders and school reps and the NEU's model menopause policy.
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Advice 
Pregnancy and maternity discrimination
The legal definitions of pregnancy and maternity discrimination, who is protected and the first steps you should take if you think you have been discriminated against at work.
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Article 
Global issues affecting women and girls
75 million children, of whom 41 million are girls, do not go to primary school.
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Advice 
Sexual harassment
Who is protected from sexual harassment and the first steps you should take if you think you are being subjected to such harassment.
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Advice 
Women’s health and safety
It is essential that health and safety in schools should be gender sensitive and appropriate.
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Advice 
Equal pay and The Equal Pay Act 1970
The campaign for equal pay has a long history; one which is still ongoing.
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Advice 
Women and poverty
The NEU is concerned about how poverty disproportionately affects women.
Sexual orientation and discrimination
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Advice 
Sexual orientation discrimination
Who is protected from sexual orientation discrimination, and the first steps you should take if you think you have been discriminated against at work.
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Advice 
Sex discrimination
The legal definitions of sex discrimination, who is protected and the first steps you should take if you think you have been discriminated against at work.
Trans
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Advice 
Transgender discrimination
Who is protected from transgender discrimination, and the first steps you should take if you think you have been discriminated against at work.
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Advice 
Transgender harassment
Who is protected from harassment on grounds of transgender status,and the first steps you should take if you think you have been harassed at work.
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Advice 
Supporting trans and gender questioning students
This advice aims to help school and college staff support gender variant or questioning students in the educational environment.
Age and race
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Advice 
Age discrimination
Who is protected from age discrimination and the first steps you should take if you think you have been discriminated against at work.
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Advice 
Race discrimination
The legal definitions of race discrimination, who is protected, and the first steps you should take if you think you have been discriminated against at work.
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Advice 
Retirement age
Guide for teachers and other school staff who wish to continue working beyond age 65.
Religion
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Advice 
Religion or belief discrimination
Who is protected from discrimination on grounds of religion or belief and the first steps you should take if you think you have been discriminated against at work.
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Advice 
Islamophobia damages all of us
Education has a key role to play in countering the international, national and local climate of Islamophobia.
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Tackling antisemitism
Tackling antisemitism through education and resources for members.
Resources
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Breaking the Mould
The NEU worked with five primary schools over two years to consider how ‘traditional’ gender stereotypes could be challenged in nursery and primary classrooms.
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Advice 
Equality toolkit
This toolkit is aimed at school representatives, teacher governors and NEU officers to use to promote good policies and practices in schools and colleges.
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Advice
Trans educators toolkit
The NEU Trans Equality Toolkit provides information for education staff on transitioning in school/college.
All equality advice by topic tag
Can't find what you're looking for above? Browse all our equality content, ordered by topic tag. As pages can have more than one topic tag, they can also appear more than once in the list below.
- Who is protected from harassment on grounds of age and the first steps you should take if you think you are being subjected to such harassment.
- The legal definition of harassment on grounds of disability, who is protected and the first steps you should take if you think you are being subjected to such harassment.
- 10 tips to tackle disablist bullying in the workplace - a guide for staff
- A guide for reps on equality in schools, including a checklist to ensure that all eligible members receive pay progression.
- Rebuilding a school system that supports all students, staff and teachers and is responsive to the particular needs of each and every child.
- The legal definition of disability discrimination, who is protected and the first steps you should take if you think you have been discriminated against at work.
- The legal definition of harassment on grounds of disability, who is protected and the first steps you should take if you think you are being subjected to such harassment.
The Equality Act 2010 requires employers to make reasonable adjustments to premises or working practices to ensure that employees are not disadvantaged because of their disability.
- 10 tips to tackle disablist bullying in the workplace - a guide for staff
- Who is protected from age discrimination and the first steps you should take if you think you have been discriminated against at work.
- Who is protected from harassment on grounds of age and the first steps you should take if you think you are being subjected to such harassment.
- The legal definition of disability discrimination, who is protected and the first steps you should take if you think you have been discriminated against at work.
- The legal definition of harassment on grounds of disability, who is protected and the first steps you should take if you think you are being subjected to such harassment.
- This toolkit is aimed at school representatives, teacher governors and NEU officers to use to promote good policies and practices in schools and colleges.
Education has a key role to play in countering the international, national and local climate of Islamophobia.
The results of UK Feminista and NEU’s groundbreaking study are clear: schools, education bodies and Government must take urgent action to tackle sexism in schools. "It's just everywhere" is a study on sexism in schools and how we tackle it.
- The legal definitions of pregnancy and maternity discrimination, who is protected and the first steps you should take if you think you have been discriminated against at work.
- The legal definitions of race discrimination, who is protected, and the first steps you should take if you think you have been discriminated against at work.
- The legal definition of racial harassment, who is protected and the first steps you should take if you think you are being subjected to racial harassment.
- Who is protected from discrimination on grounds of religion or belief and the first steps you should take if you think you have been discriminated against at work.
- The legal definitions of sex discrimination, who is protected and the first steps you should take if you think you have been discriminated against at work.
- Who is protected from sexual harassment and the first steps you should take if you think you are being subjected to such harassment.
- Who is protected from sexual orientation discrimination, and the first steps you should take if you think you have been discriminated against at work.
- Who is protected from harassment on grounds of sexual orientation, and the first steps you should take if you think you have been harassed at work.
- 10 tips to tackle disablist bullying in the workplace - a guide for staff
- Trade union victimisation, who is protected from it and the first steps you should take if you think you have been victimised at work.
- Who is protected from transgender discrimination, and the first steps you should take if you think you have been discriminated against at work.
- Who is protected from harassment on grounds of transgender status,and the first steps you should take if you think you have been harassed at work.
A guide for members on how to tackle domestic abuse and the workplace
- A guide for NEU reps on how to tackle domestic abuse and the workplace
- A guide for leaders on how to tackle domestic violence and the workplace
- Supporting victims and challenging the behaviour of perpetrators
A guide for members on how to tackle domestic abuse and the workplace
- Supporting victims and challenging the behaviour of perpetrators
The purpose of this guidance is to suggest practical ways in which the school and college environment can be improved for women who are going through the menopause.
- A guide for leaders on how to tackle domestic violence and the workplace
- It is often the most unpleasant voices that we hear the loudest and whether you are out at work or not, it can be extremely isolating being a lone LGBT+ staff member.
LGBT+ inclusion involves reviewing the curriculum and lesson plans across all subjects to eliminate heteronormative bias, and ensure sexual orientations and gender identities are represented.
- Every school and district should be having a conversation about LGBT+ inclusion.
Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) will be changing for schools in England from September 2020.
- Who is protected from sexual orientation discrimination, and the first steps you should take if you think you have been discriminated against at work.
- Who is protected from harassment on grounds of sexual orientation, and the first steps you should take if you think you have been harassed at work.
This advice aims to help school and college staff support gender variant or questioning students in the educational environment.
The NEU Trans Equality Toolkit provides information for education staff on transitioning in school/college.
- The legal definitions of pregnancy and maternity discrimination, who is protected and the first steps you should take if you think you have been discriminated against at work.
The purpose of this guidance is to suggest practical ways in which the school and college environment can be improved for women who are going through the menopause.
- The campaign for equal pay has a long history; one which is still ongoing.
- Using equality data in tackling pay progression
- FAQs on pay scale, allowances for additional responsibilities and pay progression to help understand how teacher pay works.
- A guide for reps on equality in schools, including a checklist to ensure that all eligible members receive pay progression.
- Using equality data in tackling pay progression
- A guide for reps on equality in schools, including a checklist to ensure that all eligible members receive pay progression.
- The government has published its response to the July 2020 public consultation - Public service pension schemes: changes to the transition arrangements to the 2015 schemes consultation. The NEU is pleased that the government has adopted our position and favours ‘Deferred Choice’.
- Rebuilding a school system that supports all students, staff and teachers and is responsive to the particular needs of each and every child.
- The legal definitions of race discrimination, who is protected, and the first steps you should take if you think you have been discriminated against at work.
- The legal definition of racial harassment, who is protected and the first steps you should take if you think you are being subjected to racial harassment.
Education has a key role to play in countering the international, national and local climate of Islamophobia.
- Who is protected from discrimination on grounds of religion or belief and the first steps you should take if you think you have been discriminated against at work.
- A guide for NEU reps on how to tackle domestic abuse and the workplace
Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) will be changing for schools in England from September 2020.
The Equality Act 2010 requires employers to make reasonable adjustments to premises or working practices to ensure that employees are not disadvantaged because of their disability.
- The campaign for equal pay has a long history; one which is still ongoing.
The results of UK Feminista and NEU’s groundbreaking study are clear: schools, education bodies and Government must take urgent action to tackle sexism in schools. "It's just everywhere" is a study on sexism in schools and how we tackle it.
- The legal definitions of sex discrimination, who is protected and the first steps you should take if you think you have been discriminated against at work.
- Who is protected from sexual harassment and the first steps you should take if you think you are being subjected to such harassment.
- Trade union victimisation, who is protected from it and the first steps you should take if you think you have been victimised at work.
This advice aims to help school and college staff support gender variant or questioning students in the educational environment.
The NEU Trans Equality Toolkit provides information for education staff on transitioning in school/college.
- Who is protected from transgender discrimination, and the first steps you should take if you think you have been discriminated against at work.
- Who is protected from harassment on grounds of transgender status,and the first steps you should take if you think you have been harassed at work.
- The campaign for equal pay has a long history; one which is still ongoing.
The results of UK Feminista and NEU’s groundbreaking study are clear: schools, education bodies and Government must take urgent action to tackle sexism in schools. "It's just everywhere" is a study on sexism in schools and how we tackle it.
- The legal definitions of pregnancy and maternity discrimination, who is protected and the first steps you should take if you think you have been discriminated against at work.
- The NEU is concerned about how poverty disproportionately affects women.
The purpose of this guidance is to suggest practical ways in which the school and college environment can be improved for women who are going through the menopause.
Can't find what you're looking for? Use our A-Z directory of all help and advice web pages.