Key concepts 5.35

Even if the aim is legitimate, the means of achieving it must be proportionate.

‘Proportionate’ means appropriate and necessary, but ‘necessary’ does not mean that the provision, criterion or practice is the only possible way of achieving the legitimate aim.

5.36

Although the financial cost of using a less discriminatory approach cannot, by itself, provide a justification, cost can be taken into account as part of the school’s justification if there are other good reasons for adopting the chosen practice.

5.37

The more serious the disadvantage caused by the discriminatory provision, criterion or practice, the more convincing the justification must be.

5.38

In a case involving disability, if a school has not complied with its duty to make relevant reasonable adjustments, it will be difficult for it to show that the treatment was proportionate.

Public authorities and justification of indirect discrimination 5.39

A significant factor in determining whether a public authority (which includes all schools maintained by a local authority) is able to justify what may otherwise be unlawful indirect discrimination is the extent to which the public authority has complied with its public sector equality duty.

Example: A school bans ‘cornrow’ hairstyles as part of its policies on pupil appearance. These hairstyles are more likely to be adopted by specific racial groups; hence a blanket ban – without the possibility of any exceptions on, for example, racial grounds – is likely to constitute indirect racial discrimination because it is unlikely to be objectively justified on the basis of proportionality.

Key concepts

Discrimination arising from disability 5.40

Discrimination arising from disability occurs when a school treats a disabled pupil unfavourably because of something connected with his or her disability and cannot justify such treatment.

5.41

Discrimination arising from disability is different from direct discrimination.

Direct discrimination occurs because of the protected characteristic of disability. For discrimination arising from disability to occur, the motive for the treatment does not matter; the question is whether the disabled pupil has been treated unfavourably because of something arising from his or her disability.

5.42

Discrimination arising from disability is also different from indirect

discrimination. There is no need to show that other people have been affected alongside the individual disabled pupil or for the disabled pupil to compare himself or herself with anyone else.

5.43

Discrimination arising from disability will occur if the following three conditions are all met:

a. A school treats a disabled pupil unfavourably – that is, puts him or her at a disadvantage – even if this was not the school’s intention.

b. This treatment is because of something connected with the disabled pupil’s disability (which could be the result, effect or outcome of that disability), such as an inability to walk unaided or disability-related behaviour.

c. The treatment cannot be justified by showing that it is ‘a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim’. (This is explained at paragraph 5.25 in relation to indirect discrimination.)

Example: In the cornrows example in paragraph 5.37, the school would also need to have had due regard to the need to eliminate racial discrimination, and to advance equality of opportunity and good race relations. If the school has not properly complied with its broader public sector equality duty, it is likely to be more difficult for it to justify the criteria objectively in relation to the application of a specific policy.

s15

Key concepts

For discrimination arising from disability to occur, a disabled pupil must have been treated ‘unfavourably’. This means that he or she must be put at a disadvantage (see paragraph 5.21). Often, the disadvantage will be obvious and it will be clear that the treatment has been unfavourable, for example being excluded from the school. Being denied a choice or excluded from an opportunity is also likely to be unfavourable treatment. Sometimes, the unfavourable treatment may be less obvious. Even if a school thinks that it is acting in the best interests of a disabled pupil, it may still be treating that pupil unfavourably.

5.45

The unfavourable treatment must be because of something that arises as a consequence of the disability. This means that there must be a connection between whatever led to the unfavourable treatment and the disability.

5.46

The consequences of a disability include anything that is the result, effect or outcome of a disabled pupil’s disability. The consequences will be varied and will depend on the individual effect upon a disabled pupil of his or her

disability. Some consequences may be obvious, such as an inability to walk unaided. Others may not be obvious, such as an inability to concentrate for long periods of time, or the need for regular rest breaks or toilet breaks, or the need for instructions to be repeated or presented in visual form.

5.47

As long as the unfavourable treatment is because of something arising as a consequence of the disability, it will be unlawful unless it can be objectively justified, or unless the school did not know, or could not reasonably have been expected to know, that the pupil was disabled.

Example: A pupil with learning difficulties is not allowed to have a school meal because she has become agitated and upset whilst queuing on a number of occasions. She is asked instead to bring in a packed lunch and to eat it separately, away from her friends. Her behaviour in the queue is a result of her learning difficulties. The refusal to allow the pupil to have a school meal is unfavourable treatment that is because of

something that arises as a consequence of the pupil's disability.

s15(1) (a)

Key concepts

5.48

Unfavourable treatment will not amount to discrimination arising from disability if the school can show that the treatment is a ‘proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim’. This ‘objective justification’ test is explained in detail in paragraph 5.32 in relation to indirect discrimination.

5.49

It is for the school to justify the treatment. It must produce evidence to support its assertion that it is justified and not rely on mere generalisations.

Knowledge of disability 5.50

In addition, if a school can show that it

• did not know that the disabled pupil had the disability in question, and

• could not reasonably have been expected to know that the disabled pupil had the disability,

then the unfavourable treatment would not amount to unlawful discrimination arising from disability.

5.51

If the school’s agent (that is, someone who undertakes tasks on the school’s behalf) or employee knows of a pupil’s disability, the school will not usually be able to claim that it does not know of the disability.

Example: A school refuses to allow a pupil with a colostomy bag to take part in swimming lessons, because it assumes that the colostomy bag presents a health and safety risk. Because the reason for the treatment is based on general assumptions rather than a specific risk assessment, the school is unlikely to be able to justify the treatment.

Example: A pupil tells the school secretary that she has diabetes and that she needs to carry biscuits to eat when her blood sugar levels fall. A teacher has no information about her disability and refuses to allow the pupil to bring food into the classroom. When the teacher sees the pupil eating, he disciplines her. In this case, the school is unlikely to be able to argue that it did not know about her condition.

s15(2)