Thousands of children suspended for racist behaviour

Last year, thousands of children, some as young as four, were sent home from school for racist behaviour.

Campaigners are demanding urgent measures to combat growing hatred in classrooms, expressing concerns that bigotry is becoming “normalised.”

They argue that impressionable children are mimicking the racist language they hear from their parents and media figures. In 2023, 11,619 children were suspended for racist behaviour, a 25% increase from the previous year, averaging nearly 60 suspensions a day.

Shockingly, 1,413 of these children were still in primary school, with seven incidents involving kids as young as four.

Dr Shabna Begum, head of the Runnymede Trust, stated, “It’s predictable that children are picking up and expressing racism in schools given the current climate.”

She pointed out that recent years have seen media and politicians legitimising hateful language and policies that were once condemned. Children are mirroring the hatred prevalent in today’s political discourse through racist behaviour.

Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said, “These figures should be a wake-up call. Years of divisive, hateful language and negative, racist stereotypes from some politicians and sections of the media have helped create a climate that threatens social cohesion. The upcoming review of the school curriculum in England should include building an anti-racist curriculum.”

A distraught mother shared that her 11-year-old son faced bullying at school due to his skin colour.

She revealed, “He gets so worried about what’s going to happen on Monday that it ruins our whole weekend.”

The National Police Chiefs’ Council reported that 145 juveniles, aged 10 to 17, were arrested in connection with recent right-wing disorder following the Southport stabbings. Last week, police arrested an alleged rioter aged 11.

The Department for Education stated, “Racism and discrimination have no place in our schools or society. These figures highlight the widespread disruptive behaviour in schools across the country in recent years. We will continue to support our hardworking teachers to maintain a safe and calm classroom environment. We’ve committed to providing access to specialist mental health professionals in every school. Children should learn about respectful relationships, both in person and online, and the importance of valuing differences.”

Jo Studholme, a teacher and parenting expert, noted, “Children often adopt racist views from their parents and caregivers. This can severely impact their well-being and ability to form healthy relationships. Parents must instil positive values and teach tolerance.”