From the Teacher Support Network, www.teachersupport.info.

TEACHERS SHOULD CONSIDER RACISM IN BULLYING

The first ever serious case review of problems at a school has concluded that teachers should investigate all incidents of bullying for evidence of racism.

The review, which examined the attack on white schoolboy Henry Webster by a Muslim gang in Wiltshire, suggested that schools in England and Wales should monitor the ethnicity of bullies and victims. The review also calls for closer liaison between schools and the police, The Telegraph reports.

Henry was 15 when he was attacked by a hammer in January 2007 by the gang, which left him with a fractured skull and brain damage. 13 people were convicted over their role in the attack.

The paper goes on to say that the leaked review disclosed that the Wiltshire school may have missed several opportunities to intervene and stop escalating racial tensions among pupils.

To find out more on dealing with racism in schools, try these factsheets:

• Commission for Racial Equality
• Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000
• Commission for Black Staff in Further Education