PARENTS have insisted children should be educated at a young age about sexual misconduct after stark figures reveal multiple exclusions in schools.

Figures from the Department for Education show Southend schools temporarily excluded students five times for sexual misconduct between 2018 and 2019, which was one more than the year before.

Across the rest of Essex there were 53 exclusions, down from 55 in the year before, with 49 happening in secondary-schools.

Sheridan Sayer, a 64-year-old grandmother of four from Canvey, said: “There needs to be someone within every school that they [children] can go to for help, even if they employ someone just for that.

“There needs to be someone in place for all ages from the little-uns all the way up.”

Mum of three Kimberley O’Connell, 46, of Eastwood, added that her sons “call out” inappropriate behaviour and early intervention is critical.

She said: “I believe in right and wrong. I believe in enforcing and educating boys early.

“As a mum I have always felt it very, very important to show the boys what it’s like to be a woman.”

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The figures come after the Government launched a review into sexual abuse in schools.

The website Everyone’s Invited has more than 14,000 posts from children as young as nine detailing alleged sexual abuse at school or university.

Jerry Glazier, secretary for the Essex branch of the National Education Union, said: “I think it will cause schools to review their policies to enable schools to feel safe and enable pupils to report if they are being treated or touched in a totally unacceptable way.”

A Southend Council spokesman said: “When a school responds to a sexual misconduct report, the council also helps support the victim and their family. There has been a lot of work in the past two years to develop the relationship and sex education curriculum for Southend schools, to educate pupils on what is and isn’t acceptable behaviour.”

Kimberley O’Connell is standing as an independent candidate for St Laurence ward in the Southend Council elections in May. Other candidates in St Laurence are Steve Buckley as Conservative, Jim Clinkscales as Liberal Democrat, Lydia Hyde as Labour, and Oliver Thorn for the Green Party.