Ethical veganism is protected under the Equality Act 2010 as a philosophical belief.

Ethical veganism is protected under the Equality Act 2010 as a philosophical belief.

State schools in Britain have a public sector equality duty to act inclusively in this regard.

State schools in Britain have a public sector equality duty to act inclusively in this regard.

It’s still common for schools to say they can’t provide meals for vegans, blaming their caterers.

It’s still common for schools to say they can’t provide meals for vegans, blaming their caterers.

However, the equality obligations are borne by the school, specifically the governors who are accountable for breaches

However, the equality obligations are borne by the school, specifically the governors who are accountable for breaches

The vegan menu needs to be balanced, varied and tasty – just like the standard menu.

The vegan menu needs to be balanced, varied and tasty – just like the standard menu.

Helpful resources are available from The Vegan Society, and beyond lesson planning, it’s important to consider relationships.

If a pupil is teased by their teacher for being vegan, that’s direct discrimination under the Equality Act.

That may sound unlikely, but in our survey of 252 vegan pupils, 73 per cent had been teased for their vegan beliefs at school, and 42 per cent had been bullied.