Children called terrorists as new report shows racism normalised in Wales' schools
Video Report by ITV Wales' Carole Green
Many young people experience racism in secondary school and few have confidence in how it is dealt with, according to the Children's Commissioner for Wales.
In a new report, the Commissioner calls for a stronger response to racism and racist incidents from schools, more training and support for teachers, and national data on racist incidents.
Some of the experiences included in the report included a young muslim girl, who wore the headscarf, receiving comments like, "you’re hiding a bomb in your scarf".
Another girl had her hijab pulled off, which left her in tears.
The Commissioner and her team listened to 170 children as part of the research, as well as school leaders, teachers, and staff working across the public and third sectors.
Children across Wales spoke about the normalisation of racist language and the "everyday" nature of racist experiences.
Many felt incidents were not taken seriously or properly addressed.
Young people felt very little was done when racist incidents were reported, according to the Children's Commissioner.
Rocio Cifuentes said young people want teachers to take racism more seriously, and to see those who have engaged in racist behaviour receiving appropriate sanctions.
One young person quoted in the report said "no one really reports as nothing gets done," while another said their school is stricter about school uniform than racism.
Young people who took part in the research called for clearer reporting systems, more support for those experiencing racism, and better communication from schools on how reported incidents were being dealt with.
A Welsh Government spokesperson told ITV News "racism is unacceptable in our schools."
They added: "While this report makes for difficult reading, it is vital that we listen to children and young people, and effectively address the issues they are facing.
"We will carefully consider the recommendations.”
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