The government should make the collection of data on racist incidents of bullying mandatory in schools as part of a suite of measures to prevent discrimination, researchers have said.
As part of a project looking at the lives of migrant children in the UK and Europe, researchers from Manchester Metropolitan University said that, as diversity increases, schools need to provide an “inclusive education” that “fosters cultural diversity” and ensures “equal outcomes for all”.
In a policy brief that forms part of the project, the researchers have also recommended that teacher training programmes look at how teachers can address topics regarding diversity in classrooms.
The researchers said it is “essential” that educational systems provide an inclusive education to “prevent discrimination, bullying and racism”.
As part of the policy brief, the researchers said: “Worryingly, there are no official statistics to gauge the true extent of bullying within British schools, as schools do not need to record data on bullying cases according to governmental guidelines”.
In response to this, they said that on a national level, the government should make the collection of data on racist incidents “mandatory”.
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said that it “may be worth exploring the idea of making data collection mandatory to identify what additional benefits it might bring, such as providing a national overview”.
But he added that the union would be “surprised” if there were any schools or trusts that do not already record data on racist incidents, as it was very much “common practice to do so”.
The report also recommends that school leaders “need to be trained on tackling old and new forms of racism, stereotypes and unconscious bias”.
Other recommendations include pupils being provided with a “wider range of language classes” so that migrant pupils can “undertake some education in their home language”.
The researchers found that where integration strategies had been implemented in schools, this had helped to create a sense of belonging among migrant pupils and meant they were more “engaged” with the curriculum.
They said possible initiatives ranged from peer-buddy schemes to the organisation of workshops and talks promoting social inclusion and belonging, and the implementation of art-based practices and activities on language, as well as dedicated days to celebrate religious and cultural events of ethnic minorities.
Dr Shoba Arun, UK lead on the Migrant Children and Communities in a Transforming Europe (MICREATE) project, said that migrant integration would “always be a complex issue and a great challenge in our society”.
She added: “The UK has had a long history of diverse waves of migration, and as we continue to see an influx of new arrivals, such movements of large numbers of people and families will immensely affect children and their educational futures.
“Our MICREATE project aims to encourage the integration of diverse groups of migrant children in the UK, as a host society, through a child-centred approach embedded in our research, integration activities and policy.”
Mr Barton said that school leaders were “experienced” in tackling all forms of bullying, including racism, and were “fully aware of issues such as stereotyping and unconscious bias”.
But he added: “Nobody is complacent and we would welcome any new ideas on how to further deepen understanding and support this work.”
The findings of the research will have particular significance to school leaders in light of the number of refugees fleeing Ukraine and Afghanistan to the UK in recent months.
Data released this month shows that just under 10,000 Ukrainian children who have come to the UK since the start of the Russian invasion have been offered places in the English schooling system. Over 5,000 Afghans have also been placed within the school system, too.
The Department for Education has been contacted for comment.
