PLAID CYMRU CALLS FOR SCHOOLS RACISM INQUIRY

“Children should feel safe in their own schools” – Adam Price MS

Leader of Plaid Cymru Adam Price has today called for an inquiry into racism into schools.

His calls follow the tragic incident at a school in Blaenau Gwent, when an 11 year old boy, Raheem Bailey, had to have his finger amputated following reports of racial and physical abuse.

Mr Price made the call during Questions to the First Minister, during which he pointed out that Raheem “should have felt safe in his own school”.

In response, the First Minister said that he is not “interested” in “yet another inquiry.”

The call comes almost two years from the day Mr Price called for Welsh Government to “commit to a wide-ranging inquiry into the roots and remedies of structural racism and racial disadvantage here in Wales” following the murder of George Floyd.

In response to Mr Price’s call from June 2020, the First Minister said it was one of his “ambitions” to be able to “bring that piece of work back to the front burner, from the back burner, as soon as we are able to in the crisis.”

Leader of Plaid Cymru, Adam Price MS, said:

“Raheem Bailey, an 11 year old boy who should have felt safe in his own school had to have his finger amputated following a bullying incident.

“While Raheem’s case has naturally shocked us, his experience is by no means by no means unique in Wales. We already know from the work of Show Racism the Red Card that six out of ten pupils say that they, or someone they know has been a target of racism.

“That’s why we’re calling for an inquiry into racism in Welsh schools, as the report suggests. This inquiry should review anti-racism training and resources for educators, data collection, bullying policies and Estyn’s role in monitoring.”