Education call after race jibes
A Wishaw man has called for more anti-racism education after his kids suffered abuse at school.
Ranveer Panesar is hopeful more can be done after learning of the abuse his children faced at a primary school in the area.
He was left sickened after his children, aged only seven and eight, told him what had taken place.
Ranveer said: “I only found out when we were driving home in the car. They told me some of the other kids were calling them names and when I asked them what kind of names, they said they were getting called poo-poo skin or poo-poo head.
“At first, I thought it was kids being kids, but then they said another Asian pupil was getting called the same.
“I asked my daughter why they were calling her names like that and she said it was because of the colour of her skin. It was heart-breaking to hear my seven-year-old say that.
“When I realised it was racist abuse, I spoke to the headteacher – and she was shocked and appalled by what had happened. The school was very swift in its response and has launched an investigation.
“That has reassured me, but why is it not mandatory for all schools to have a specific anti-racism policy in Scotland?”
Ranveer and his family moved to Wishaw three years ago from Hayes in West London and have been delighted with the move.
However, he feels education has to be the number one priority if racism is to be eradicated from society.
Ranveer added: “Apart from this incident we haven’t experienced any overt racism since we moved.
“I have been working in Edinburgh and the kids have been doing well at school.
“I am a Sikh and delivered a talk about Sikhs to the school in 2019, we even arranged a visit for the children to attend the Gurdwara in Glasgow, so I am trying to help with promoting diversity in any way I can.
“So far the school’s response has been fantastic, in particular the headteacher.
“What I want to see now is more education, and given North Lanarkshire started a BAME working group last year, following the BLM protests, I want to know what support the council will be providing to the schools. An anti-racism policy should be mandatory for all schools in Scotland.”
A North Lanarkshire Council working group was set up following an unanimously endorsed council motion in August last year supporting the Black Lives Matter movement.
It includes elected members from the three political parties and council officers.
A package of support materials is being developed for teachers and school staff, while learning resources will be produced for pupils to learn about the history of slavery worldwide and the links to North Lanarkshire.
A Race at Work Charter will set out a proactive commitment to advance equality in employment for BAME employees and potential employees, informed by a staff survey.
Work has also started on exploring North Lanarkshire’s historical links to the slave trade and how this is interpreted today.
A council spokesperson added: “Any form of racism in our schools, or indeed in the wider community, is unacceptable and we work very hard in our schools to foster a culture of respect and diversity among pupils.
“We work closely with children and their families and protocols and procedures are followed when incidents occur in line with our positive relationships and inclusion policies.
“A working group was set up last year to address equality issues for Black Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) residents, which has already made significant progress in understanding the issues around racial discrimination and identifying how we can achieve positive change in North Lanarkshire. “The group will look to develop a package of support materials.”