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One In Three School Students Experience Race Discrimination

One in three school students experience race discrimination

One in three school students experience race discrimination, according to a new survey of racism in Australian schools.

Researchers say the prevalence of racism in schools can severely impact student achievement and development.

School students share experiences of race discrimination

Researchers from the Australian National University and Western Sydney University conducted the first-of-its-kind study.

4,600 primary and secondary students at government schools in Victoria and NSW shared their experiences of race discrimination in schools.

The findings

As a result, the study found 40 percent of students in years five to nine from non-Anglo or European backgrounds experienced race discrimination.

Additionally, almost 20 percent students from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background experienced race discrimination from their teachers.

Those from non-Anglo backgrounds are twice as likely to report experiencing discrimination than those from Anglo backgrounds.

Furthermore, 44 percent of East Asian students report the highest rate of insults or name calling on the basis of their background.

30 percent of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Island students say they are pushed or hit because of their race.

Among Anglo-Celtic students 15 percent said they experienced insults based on their background, while 6 percent report experiencing violence.


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Survey offers insight into prevalence of racism in schools

Author, associate professor Naomi Priest, said the survey offers a useful insight into the prevalence of racism in Australian schools. 

Speaking to Guardian Australia, she said:

“What this survey gives us is some data on how common it is, and the burden it places on children and young people.

“We know racism and race discrimination are major issues and of course they effect children.”

Additionally, previous research shows pain caused by experiencing racism can be similar to patterns of brain activity caused by physical pain.

Unlawful discrimination can happen in schools

Miles Heffernan, Litigation Director at Discrimination Claims, said racism in education is unlawful.

“Children aren’t born racist – they learn it – and racism is very, very ugly, in all its forms,” he said.

“This sort of behaviour will continue to happen in schools, until such time as society makes racism completely unacceptable.”


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