Amsterdam: Discrimination rife in elementary schools

Amsterdam: Discrimination rife in elementary schools

Discrimination of homosexuals, Jews and Muslims happens a lot in elementary schools in Amsterdam.  A study for the municipality shows that many teachers regularly deal with discriminatory expressions in class, write aldermans Lodewijk Asscher (education) and Freek Ossel (youth) in a letter ot the municipal council.

The reason for the study was an incident in a school in Amsterdam-Nord where a Turkish boy was discriminated for years by classmates.  His parents decided last spring to send him to a different school.  

This incident was not solitary according to the responsible aldermans.  In the letter they write that they don't have the impression that pestering and discriminatory statement are found in the school in question more than in elementary schools elsewhere in the city.

The municipality is considering therefore to make a further study of discrimination in the elementary schools.  Such a study would help the schools and municipality in the future to fight discrimination.

"A school should be a safe and tolerant study environment for children.  A tolerant city doesn't shut its eyes to problems but calls them by name," according to Asscher and Ossel. The aldemans say they would take action if schools let discrimination continue.

Source: Telegraaf (Dutch)

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