A new report by a London-based think tank, the Henry Jackson Society, found that more than half the Hindu students in British schools face discrimination and bullying.
The report was commissioned by Charlotte Littlewood, a PhD candidate in Arab and Islamic Studies with the University of Exeter, who surveyed 988 parents who identify as Hindu.
Key Findings:
- 51% of parents of Hindu pupils surveyed reported instances of their child facing anti-Hindu hate in schools.
- Lesser than 1% of schools with Indian pupils reported any anti-Hindu-related incidents over the past five years.
- 19% of the Hindu parents surveyed believe schools are able to identify anti-Hindu hate.
- 15% of the Hindu parents surveyed believe schools adequately address anti-Hindu bullying incidents.
Through the aforementioned findings, the report deduced that, “by extension, schoolchildren from other religious minorities in Britain may also be experiencing alienation and bullying that escapes official notice.”
51 percent of Hindu parents said their child had experienced anti-Hindu hate in school. @CharlotteFLit's latest report dives into the factors driving this prejudice and what can be done to address it. https://t.co/0i3dRU5OQN pic.twitter.com/3PgrZGfyFP
— Henry Jackson Society (@HJS_Org) April 19, 2023
The report also cited an investigation carried out by the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI), which found that social media narratives have characterised “a vulnerable, diasporic community — British Hindus — as an aggressive, hypernationalist, and fascist threat.”
Recommendations
The report concluded that failing to record bullying incidents and address emerging patterns could result in “missed opportunities to build a safe and equal society…for the safety and well-being of minority communities.”
It reminded schools of their “special responsibility as a point of contact where young people of all backgrounds may come together and need help in negotiating their differences with sensitivity and understanding.”
It also called on the government to “reconsider its 2012 and 2017 guidance and introduce new reporting standards for schools that cover both race and faith-targeted hate incidents.”
UK Government Representative Stance
Member of Parliament Ben Everitt said that “there is more to be done to ensure those of minority faiths are free from discrimination and prejudice, particularly within [the UK’s] education system.”
Everitt added that such incidents of hate and bullying “can lead to increased alienation, and can begin to erode community cohesion; undermining the faith in our education system’s ability to provide the best learning environment possible for all our young people.” “This cannot continue,” he stressed.
Hinduism is the UK’s third most common religion, with around one million people identifying as Hindu.
The report and its findings, which it claims to be unique to the UK, will be presented to the British Education Secretary.