School racism still rare, but we cannot be complacent

INCIDENTS of racist behaviour in schools may be isolated, but that doesn’t mean the state can rest assured that all is well, the Ombudswoman said yesterday.

According to Eliana Nicolaou’s report, which was yesterday presented to the Education Minister, two complaints were submitted to her Office in 2008 by foreign pupils claiming they had been discriminated against at school.

The first complaint involved racist graffiti on the walls of four Limassol schools. The second was by a 13-year-old pupil, who claimed she had been subjected to threats and racist attacks by other pupils, who would prevent her from entering the classroom while mocking her because of her colour and nationality.

Nicolaou said the letters she got in response to her investigation saw the schools in question all deny that racial graffiti had ever been scrawled on their walls.

Regarding the second case, the Limassol gymnasium that the young girl attends admitted the incidents had taken place. The headmistress also presented Nicolaou with the findings of her own investigation, including testimonies taken from the girl and her mother, who said they had been verbally abused with racist insults.

Nicolaou suggested the Education Ministry immediately appoints a system registering and evaluating complaints that have to do with racism and xenophobia in schools.

She also suggested that due to the seriousness of the matter, it be taken on by the Scientific Committee for Educational Reform in its bid to encourage multicultural schools.

Education Minister Andreas Demetriou promised to combat racist and xenophobic phenomena in all schools.

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