A/HRC/19/41 admission or being expelled.107 LGBT youth frequently experience violence and harassment, including bullying, in school from classmates and teachers.108 Confronting this kind of prejudice and intimidation requires concerted efforts from school and education authorities and integration of principles of non-discrimination and diversity in school curricula and discourse. The media also have a role to play by eliminating negative stereotyping of LGBT people, including in television programmes popular among young people. 59. The Human Rights Committee, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Committee on the Rights of the Child have expressed concern about homophobic discrimination in schools, and called for measures to counter homophobic and transphobic attitudes.109 According to UNESCO, “it is often in the primary school playground that boys deemed by others to be too effeminate or young girls seen as tomboys endure teasing and sometimes the first blows linked to their appearance and behaviour, perceived as failing to fit in with the heteronormative gender identity.” 110 60. Isolation and stigma generate depression and other health problems and contribute to truancy, absenteeism, children being forced out of school111 and, in extreme cases, attempted or actual suicide.112 A survey in the United Kingdom found that almost 65 per cent of lesbian, gay and bisexual youth had been bullied in schools because of their sexual orientation and more than a quarter had been physically abused. 113 These findings are mirrored by results of studies carried out in other countries. 114 61. A related area of concern is sex education. The right to education includes the right to receive comprehensive, accurate and age-appropriate information regarding human sexuality in order to ensure young people have access to information needed to lead healthy lives, make informed decisions and protect themselves and others from sexually-transmitted infections.115 The Special Rapporteur on the right to education noted that “in order to be comprehensive, sexual education must pay special attention to diversity, since everyone has the right to deal with his or her own sexuality.” 116 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 E/CN.4/2006/45, para. 113. See, for example, E/CN.4/2001/52, para. 75, and E/CN.4/2006/45, para. 113. See, for example the concluding observations of the Human Rights Committee on Mexico (CCPR/C/MEX/CO/5), para. 21; the concluding observations of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on Poland (E/C.12/POL/CO/5), paras. 12-13; and Committee on the Rights of the Child general comments No. 3 (CRC/GC/2003/3), para. 8; and No. 13 (CRC/C/GC/13), paras. 60 and 72 (g); and the Committee‟s concluding observations on New Zealand (CRC/C/NZL/CO/3-4), para. 25; Slovakia (CRC/C/SVK/CO/2), paras. 27-28; and Malaysia (CRC/C/MYS/CO/1), para. 31. “International consultation on homophobic bullying and harassment in educational institutions”, UNESCO concept note, July 2011. See, for example, E/CN.4/2006/45, para. 113. E/CN.4/2003/75/Add.1, para. 1508. Ruth Hunt and Johan Jensen, The experiences of young gay people in Britain’s schools: the school report (London, Stonewall, 2007), p. 3. “Social Exclusion of Young Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender People in Europe”, ILGAEurope and the International Gay and Lesbian Youth Organization, 2006. See Committee on the Rights of the Child general comment No. 4 (CRC/GC/2003/4), paras. 26 and 28. See also International Conference on Population and Development, Programme of Action, para. 7.47; Commission on Population and Development resolution 2009/1, para. 7; and UNESCO International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education, sects. 2.3 and 3.4. A/65/162, para. 23. See also “Comprehensive sexuality education: giving young people the information, skills and knowledge they need”, UNFPA, and “Standards for Sexuality Education in Europe”, WHO Regional Office for Europe and the Federal Centre for Health Education (including page 27). 19