Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of reports that two HIV positive children were excluded from a school in the United Kingdom last year on the basis of their HIV status, what steps they are taking to prevent the stigmatisation of schoolchildren with HIV.

Children and young people with medical conditions should receive the support they need to enable them to participate in a full education. The Government has introduced a new duty at Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 under which school governing bodies must make arrangements to support such pupils. All exclusions must be for a disciplinary reason and follow the legal exclusion process. No pupil should be excluded from school because of their HIV status.

Schools may wish to teach about HIV through subjects such as personal, social health and economic education (PSHE), or in relation to particular events. The statutory Sex and Relationship Guidance includes the requirement to teach about HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. Sexually transmitted infections are also covered as part of the national curriculum for science at key stage 3.

All schools must have behaviour policies to tackle bullying and the Department for Education is providing charitable organisations with £4 million (2013-15) to tackle all forms of bullying.