The severity of bullying and discrimination experienced by Hindu kids in UK schools has been revealed in a recent report by a London-based independent think tank.
A study of 988 Hindu parents by the London-based Henry Jackson Society, commissioned by Charlotte Littlewood, a PhD candidate in Arab and Islamic Studies at the University of Exeter, revealed that 51% of them said their kids had experienced prejudice at school.
Less than 1% of schools with Indian students reported any hate incidents, despite the high prevalence of discrimination recorded by parents, according to the survey. Additionally, only 19% of the Hindu parents polled thought that schools could spot anti-Hindu prejudice.
“Anti-Hindu slurs” hurled at pupils were among the incidences that parents reported, with some kids being bullied in this way for years. Littlewood worked on the research for five months, during which time she came across one instance in which a student in East London had to switch schools three times as a result of this bullying.
“We are aware that this incident took place in a South Asian-dominated school in East London. In a nation like ours, that is troubling, Ms. Littlewood said. Through this report, we are requesting a change in the bullying policy in place in UK schools. An annual report on occurrences and how they were handled is required.
The report included information on events affecting young people up to the age of 22 in UK colleges. In March, Indian student Karan Kataria, who is pursuing a master’s degree in law at the London School of Economics, said that he had experienced discrimination while running for general secretary of the institution.
“After being chosen to serve as an academic representative for his law school, I felt prepared to run for general secretary. There was a campaign against me throughout the election because I’m Hindu, Mr. Kataria claimed. “We were attempting to alter a story that was being told through a pair of tinted glasses. Their views are just that—views. Not ours, is it?
The Independent Schools Council, a group in the UK that acts as an umbrella organisation for different schools, was unable to comment on the report’s findings. Teachers, however, spoke up against episodes of hatred that involved kids of different religions as well as Hindu students. To help identify and address such situations, they urged the development of better tools and training.
The Education Secretary will receive the study and its suggestions, which are said to be the first of their sort in the UK.
