MORE than twice as many schoolgirls feel unsafe in their schools as before the pandemic, a study revealed today.

University College London (UCL) researchers found that girls in Year 9 reported feeling significantly less safe in 2023 than in 2019.

More than a third of Year 9 girls in England disagreed that they felt safe in school in 2023, compared with 15 per cent in 2019, their study said.

Meanwhile, one in four Year 9 boys in England disagreed that they felt safe in school in 2023, compared with 17 per cent in 2019.

The researchers measured engagement indicators in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and compared the data from 32 participating countries for the analysis.

Lead author Professor John Jerrim from UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society said: “The key finding in this paper is that the decline in emotional engagement is significantly greater in England compared to other countries.

“There could be several factors behind this, and the significance of the Covid-19 pandemic shouldn’t be underestimated.

“The results we are seeing for girls are particularly concerning, with around a third of teenage girls in this country indicating they no longer feel safe at school.”

Prof Jerrim said the research “points towards something happening during the pandemic — quite possibly school closures — that has particularly impacted teenage girls.

“This may have particularly impacted girls’ enjoyment and confidence at school and their peer relationships,” he said.

“What is really worrying is that there are signs from other evidence that this may well be feeding into greater school absence rates among girls and on to their educational achievement.”

Association of School and College Leaders general secretary Pepe Di’Iasio said: “We would like to see more research done to better understand the reasons behind this drop in engagement and to work towards finding solutions.

“We agree that things have changed since the pandemic, which disrupted not just learning but also elements such as school connectedness and social and emotional development and there has not been sufficient government investment to help schools respond to these new challenges.”

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “High and rising standards are at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity, ensuring all children and young people can achieve and thrive.

“This means ensuring every school provides a safe, supportive and inclusive learning environment.”