Racism and assaults soar in English schools
Saturday, 14 April 2007
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The number of pupils suspended for racist abuse has risen sharply.
Suspensions at schools in England for racist abuse went up by 29 per cent to more than 3,300 in 2005, according to Department of Education figures. There was also an increase in the number of pupils suspended for attacks on adults and other students, while suspensions for verbal abuse, bullying and sexual misconduct also shot up.
Sarah Teather, the Liberal Democrat education spokesman, who obtained the figures in written parliamentary answers, said they were "deeply disturbing". "These suspensions are another shocking picture of the poor state of race relations in Britain today," she said. "That so many young people are resorting to vile racist abuse in the playground is deeply disturbing. Such hateful language and behaviour has no place in civilised society and coming from children it is even more abhorrent."
She added: "Government initiatives on citizenship classes are clearly failing miserably. Action must be taken to stop the rot."
The total number of suspensions rose by 45,000 - some 13 per cent - in 2005. Suspensions for physical assaults on pupils increased by more than 11,000 and those against adults by nearly 2,500. Together they accounted for nearly a quarter of all suspensions.
Those for bullying increased by 14 per cent to nearly 1,000 and for sexual misconduct by 13 per cent to more than 400. Suspensions for drug and alcohol abuse fell by 9 per cent.
