Schools in Bolton recorded more suspensions for racial abuse last year, new figures show. Department for Education figures show there were 20 suspensions at Bolton schools for racial abuse during the 2022-23 spring term – up from 10 across the same period the year before. This follows the national trend, with 3,779 suspensions for racial abuse recorded across English schools – a 21 per cent rise from spring 2021-22.
The figures also show a substantial increase compared to spring term in 2018-19, before the pandemic, when there were 1,690 such temporary exclusions. In Bolton schools , pupils were suspended on 15 occasions during this period. Across the country, 20 pupils had to look for a new school after being permanently excluded for racial abuse – none of them were in Bolton.
There was a total of 2,485 temporary suspensions in Bolton – a 63 per cent increase compared to the year before. On average, those suspended missed 3.9 days from school.
Pupils were also suspended for bullying nine times. Robert Poole Assistant District Secretary Bolton NEU said: “There are two ways of looking at this. The first is that racism is on the rise and the second is that schools are taking this issue more seriously which is leading to more pupils being suspended for their actions.
“In either case the way to tackle this is for schools to have a commitment to anti-racists values and a whole school approach to race equality. “This should include using the curriculum to challenge ra.