Education secretary 'open minded' on England smacking ban

The acquisition caput has said she is "open minded" to a prohibition connected smacking children successful England, but that determination are nary imminent plans to alteration the law.

It comes aft fresh calls for a prohibition successful England by Children's Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza, who suggested adopting akin measures already successful spot successful Scotland and Wales.

Asked if she supports that proposal, Bridget Phillipson told the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg that the authorities is "considering it" but authorities would not beryllium brought guardant "any clip soon".

Children's foundation the NSPCC called connected caller authorities "as soon arsenic possible" arsenic determination was "mounting evidence" that physically disciplining children could beryllium "damaging".

Speaking connected Sunday morning, Phillipson said she was keen to perceive from Dame Rachel and different experts "on however [a ban] would work".

She added that she thought "we bash request to look astatine however we support children safe".

Phillipson added that the upcoming Children's Wellbeing Bill, which is expected to beryllium introduced "by the extremity of the year", volition code galore of the issues relating to children's attraction and safeguarding.

Anna Edmundson, caput of argumentation astatine the NSPCC, told the BBC that calls had tripled to the charity's helpline from adults acrophobic astir the usage of carnal punishment connected children.

In a connection she added: "That is wherefore we privation the Government to legislate arsenic soon arsenic imaginable to springiness children successful England the aforesaid extortion from battle afforded to adults and already successful spot for children successful Scotland and Wales.”

Other charities, including Barnardo's, person besides agelong called for an English smacking prohibition and two-thirds of English radical polled by YouGov successful March past twelvemonth said physically disciplining a kid is not acceptable.

In England and Northern Ireland it is ineligible for a carer oregon genitor to subject their kid physically if it is simply a "reasonable" punishment - but the Children Act 2004 made it amerciable to battle a kid causing existent oregon grievous bodily harm.

The erstwhile Conservative authorities argued parents should beryllium trusted to subject their children and determination were "clear laws successful place" to forestall violence.

The Department for Education told the BBC earlier this week that it was present "looking closely" astatine the instrumentality changes made successful Scotland and Wales, which came into unit successful 2020 and 2022 respectively, to spot whether much could beryllium done successful England.

Posting connected X past week, Dame Rachel said a prohibition connected immoderate benignant of corporal punishment, including smacking, hitting, slapping and shaking, could halt little level unit from escalating.

"If we are superior astir keeping each kid safe, it's clip England takes this indispensable step," she said.

"Too galore children person been harmed oregon killed astatine the hands of the radical who should emotion and attraction for them most."