Discriminatory and racist language has become more common since the result in June and needs to be challenged with greater vigour in the classroom, according to academics at the Moray House School of Education, part of Edinburgh University.
In written evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Equalities and Human Rights Committee, they said teachers in Scottish schools had told them of a rise in incidents since the decision to leave the EU, although these were verbal rather than physical.
They told MSPs: “Our recent discussions with teaching staff point to a growing mood among pupils and also within some parent groupings about a new acceptability of discriminatory language and views related to colour, ethnicity, nationality, ethnic origins and religion.”
When informed about a child’s racist language, parents are now more likely to make excuses for such behaviour – something that would have been much less prevalent in the past, the academics said.
Teachers were also “reluctant and anxious” about addressing racism in the classroom, they said. They have therefore called for updated advice to be provided for schools on the issue, together with more thorough recording of incidents of racist bullying and harassment.
In another submission to the committee – written before last week’s election of Donald Trump as US president – the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) said it was also worried that inflammatory language among politicians and the media may be spurring racist bullying in schools.
“The current political discourse around immigration is creating a climate which will exacerbate bullying and harassment of refugee and asylum-seeking children, and children from visible/audible ethnic minorities, who are or are perceived to be refugees or migrants,” it said.
“We fear that current narratives about ‘migrants’ in, for example, the tabloid media, put certain children at greater risk of bullying and harassment.”
The EIS also said its own research had shown a rise in misogynistic, racist, Islamophobic and homophobic bullying. “Casual though often vindictive ... overtly sexualised and derogatory language such as ‘slut’ and ‘whore’ (is) widely used against girls or women staff,” its submission said.
Asked about the issue during First Minister’s Questions, Nicola Sturgeon said she was “very concerned” by the reports. “That is just a reminder to us of the responsibility we all carry to promote the principles of tolerance, respect and diversity,” she told MSPs.
Ms Sturgeon also promised to speak out against Trump if he made any further “deeply abhorrent” comments like those that peppered his election campaign: “I never want to be, I am not prepared to be, a politician that maintains a diplomatic silence in the face of attitudes of racism, sexism, misogyny or intolerance of any kind.”