London: A Survey carried out by an independent think tank based in London has revealed that anti-Hindu hate is rising in schools in the UK. The report named ‘Anti-Hindu Hate in Schools’ was published by London-based Henry Jackson Society, commissioned by Charlotte Littlewood, a PhD candidate in Arab and Islamic Studies with the University of Exeter.
The report claimed that 51% of Hindu parents surveyed reported that their child has suffered anti-Hindu hate at school. The report stands out at the time when a Hindu, Rishi Sunak, is the prime minister of the country. The survey was carried among 988 Hindu parents and more than 1,000 schools around the country.
Most parents complained that their children were mocked for worshipping multiple deities and the sacrality of cow. They were called ‘Kaffir’ by Muslim students. The parents also complained of very poor quality teaching of Hinduism in British schools. As per some of the participants in the survey, schools teaching Hinduism often fostered religious discrimination towards Hindu students.
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The report mentioned that incidents such as Hindu pupils being bullied to convert to Islam, beef being thrown at another student, etc are among some examples that have been recorded, that were faced by Hindu students.
‘This report highlights the prevalence of discrimination against Hindus in British schools, with 51 per cent of Hindu parents surveyed reporting that their child has suffered anti-Hindu hate at school. The findings underscore the urgent need for greater awareness and understanding of the Hindu experience in schools and further research into other lesser-known types of prejudices that may be manifesting in Britain’s classrooms. It highlights the need for more specific and accurate reporting mechanisms to capture such incidents,’ the survey noted.
51% of Hindu parents say their child has experienced anti-Hindu hate in schools whilst < 1% of schools have reported the same in the last 5 yrs.
10 spots left in the room, do book via the link before tomorrow mid day if you want to be there in person. @HJS_Org https://t.co/lZKNSzg8cP— Charlotte Littlewood (@CharlotteFLit) April 17, 2023
The study showed that fewer than 1%of the schools with Indian pupils, queried by Freedom of Information (FOI), reported any anti-Hindu incident in the last five years.
‘The findings in this report are damning and shed light on the varying themes and forms which anti-Hindu discrimination materialises in the classroom,’ said Ben Everitt, Conservative MP for Milton Keynes.
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
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