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Shocking revelations on anti-Hindu hatred in UK schools

The shocking revelations were presented in an interaction-led event recently during which Charlotte Littlewood, Dr Rishi Handa and Baroness Verma spotlighted the research, views and input on the subject, a reports Ragasudha Vinjamuri

Renewal of bullying policies may be the way forward to tackle anti-Hindu hatred that is found prevailing in UK schools as revealed by an anonymous months-long survey by Henry Jackson Society. The shocking revelations were presented in an interaction-led event recently during which Charlotte Littlewood, Dr Rishi Handa and Baroness Verma spotlighted the research, views and input on the subject.

Charlotte Littlewood speaking at HJS event

The HJS study examined the prevalence of discrimination against Hindu pupils in the UK schools. There have been concerns that some schools’ approaches to teaching Hinduism are fostering prejudice. It is also felt that the teachers do not seem to be well equipped with the materials to teach about Hindu faith. The quality of teaching on Hinduism has been raised as a key concern by the surveyed parents.

Speaking on the occasion, Baroness Verma emphasised “No child should ever feel that school is going to be a place of fear, or a place where they cannot go and be themselves. Hate of any nationality is not acceptable. I am pleased that the report is here and that a torch has been shown on the issue. Teachers need to have a contextual understanding of the faiths that they are teaching to give a fair reflection on the subject”

While Charlotte suggested that polytheism is perhaps viewed from Abrahamic faith lens without understanding the spiritual essence and meaning, it is found that children were not willing to go to schools or change their schools as they got bullied for being Hindu. Adding to this, Dr Rishi Handa felt there is lack of decent material and resources on Hinduism as compared to resources on other faiths, leading to less number of students opting for GCSE in Hindu studies.

Dr Rishi Handa speaking at HJS event

Responding to questions from audience, the speakers elucidated political sensitivity surrounding anti-Hindu hate pointing out that even press has not been engaging much on the subject, and that teachers need to be given tools, upskilling and confidence in order to tackle the situation.

Q&A session with attendees

Charlotte answering questions at HJS event

UK schools use facial recognition to speed up lunch payments

He noted that the system underwent a pilot run in 2020, and that 65 more schools were signed up to introduce the technology…reports Asian Lite News.

Facial recognition technology have been rolled out by a group of nine schools in the UK to verify children’s payments for school meals, according to media reports.

Instead of conventional payment methods like cards or fingerprint scanners, the technology is faster and more hygienic than claimed the schools in North Ayrshire in Scotland, the Verge reported.

However, privacy advocates warned that the move is normalising biometric surveillance.

“With Facial Recognition, pupils simply select their meal, look at the camera and go, making for a faster lunch service whilst removing any contact at the point of sale,” read a flyer distributed to parents by the schools.

As per an FAQ sheet by the schools children’s biometric data is stored in an encrypted form and deleted when a child leaves the school. Parents have to opt-in for children to use the technology, and can alternatively use PIN to verify payments, the report said.

Facial recognition cut payment time per pupil to five seconds on average, David Swanston, managing director of CRB Cunninghams, was quoted as saying to The Financial Times. Swanston’s firm was responsible for installing the technology

He noted that the system underwent a pilot run in 2020, and that 65 more schools were signed up to introduce the technology.

According to the North Ayrshire council, 97 per cent of children or parents consented to be enrolled, the FT report said. But some parents said they were not sure if children fully understood what they were signing up for, and were influenced by peer pressure.

Facial recognition systems of various types are becoming more common throughout the world. Schools in the US have been installing such systems for years, though usually as a security measure. However, it is banned in various states and cities, arguing that the technology is frequently biased across racial or gender lines.

Last week, Russia introduced facial recognition payments in its metro system, with activists warning that the technology could be used to track and identify protestors.

In the European Union, politicians and advocacy groups are calling for a ban on the technology, arguing that the downsides of its introduction outweigh potential benefits.

The Ayrshire school scheme was unnecessary, Silkie Carlo of the UK campaign group Big Brother Watch was quoted as saying to the FT.

“It’s normalising biometric identity checks for something that is mundane. You don’t need to resort to airport style [technology] for children getting their lunch,” Carlo said.

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