A new study suggests LGBTQ+ teens in the UK may be dropping out of school at a disproportionate rateHundreds of thousands of young people currently aged 12 to 17 could be impactedPrevious UK polling found that more than one in four LGBTQ+ students didn鈥檛 feel safe at schoolA youth charity is pushing for change in schools – including anonymous reporting systems
LGBTQ+ students in the UK report begging their parents to change schools, and facing discrimination from both teachers and their peers.
Their stories come alongside alarming figures in a new study led by Justin van Fleet, from global children鈥檚 charity Theirworld, released on Thursday (June 26).
Analysing official statistics across all 38 OECD countries, the research team was able to project drop-out rates among LGBTQ+ pupils in each of them. In the UK, they predicted that as many as one in four of these young people would not finish their secondary education.
Across the UK, most pupils are legally able to leave school once they turn 16 – or are close to it. England is the exception, with young people required to be in full or part-time education, or undertaking an apprenticeship, until they turn 18. But this doesn鈥檛 always necessarily work out, with Government figures estimating about 12.2% of 16 to 24-year-olds were not in education, employment, or training in 2024.
But just how serious an issue does the modelling suggest the UK might have? And how do teachers and students describe their experiences? Here鈥檚 what you need to know about the new study:
鈥業ncredibly alarming鈥 statistics
Projections in the new study suggested that nearly a quarter (24.8%) of LGBTQ+ students in the UK were not completing secondary school. This was more than twice what they estimated the national average for all pupils to be – which was around 12.1%.
This could potentially mean as many as 280 thousand LGBTQ+ students currently aged 12-17 were at risk of not finishing their secondary education across the UK.
The national figure was considerably higher than some countries, like France (22.1%), Australia (15.8%) and Poland (10.9%). However, the UK was far from the worst off. In Mexico, Costa Rica, Turkey, Brazil, Spain, and Argentina, more than half of LGBTQ+ students were expected to leave secondary school early, according to Theirworld鈥檚 modelling.
Dr Van Fleet said that historically, it has been difficult to pinpoint drop-out rates among LGBTQ+ pupils. 鈥淭his data is likely to come as a shock to many. In what is seen as a tolerant and progressive nation, to see that one in every four LGBTQ+ pupils may not make it through the education system is incredibly alarming.鈥
He continued: 鈥淚t鈥檚 astonishing that young people identifying as LGBTQ+ are finding schools to be places of discrimination instead of tolerance, understanding, and safety.鈥
Previous polling by Theirworld found that more than one in four LGBTQ+ students in the UK didn鈥檛 feel safe at school. Almost half (47%) said they had been bullied or discriminated against because of their sexual orientation – although many never reported it.
鈥業 begged my parents to let me change schools鈥
Lav, who is now 23 and transmasculine, said he had begged his parents to let him drop out of his Liverpool secondary school. 鈥淥nce I walked out of class holding my friend鈥檚 hand, a girl I鈥檇 had a crush on for months. A teacher stopped us to tell us that affection between girls like that was inappropriate.
鈥淚 was bullied for being a lesbian – I had to hide my gender identity like a dirty secret,鈥 he continued. 鈥淚 distinctly remember asking for help, and a teacher told me the problem was with me; that if I wanted to have friends like everyone else, then I needed to change who I was.鈥
鈥淚 knew I had to leave after that moment. I begged my parents to let me change schools, and eventually they agreed, because even they knew I couldn鈥檛 survive there any longer.鈥
Phoebe, an ambassador for LGBTQ+ charity Just Like Us, left formal education at 16. 鈥淚 was offered a place at a dance college. I had trained for a year towards the audition, but after receiving a place with a scholarship, I left after only one week due to anti-LGBT+ language. This behaviour was from both pupils and teachers alike.鈥
At this time, she had just come out as a lesbian. 鈥淚 felt unsafe around my peers and teachers. This episode affected me to the extent that it became my last attempt at formal education.鈥
One of Theirworld鈥檚 UK-based task team members, Nirvana Yarger – who is also a London schoolteacher – described the research as a 鈥渨ake-up call鈥. 鈥淲e’re seeing a dangerous backslide in how LGBTQ+ young people are treated. If schools want students to stay in education and thrive, they must step up. There are practical steps schools can take – and they must start now.”
Over the next six months, Theirworld says its LGBTQ+ Safe Schools and Education Task Team will meet with local representatives to discuss the results, and make recommendations that could help solve the issue in schools. These include enforcing strong anti-bullying policies for all pupils, and more conflict resolution training for staff, and creating anonymous reporting and support systems – so students can seek help safely, without fear of reprisal.
The Department for Education and education authorities in Scotland and Northern Ireland have been contacted for comment.
If you have an education story to share, we鈥檇 love to hear from you. You can now send your stories to us online via YourWorld at www.yourworld.net/submit. It’s free to use and, once checked, your story will appear on our website and, space allowing, in our newspapers.