Why it matters: The increase mirrors a nationwide surge that has seen racist abuse suspensions nearly double across England, from 2,628 to 4,966 over the same period.
The big picture: Racial justice experts warn that suspensions alone may not address underlying issues, calling for more comprehensive approaches to tackle racism in schools.
By the numbers:
365 suspensions for racist abuse in Suffolk since 2020
46 suspensions in autumn 2023, up from 33 in autumn 2020
Zero permanent exclusions for racist abuse in Suffolk
33,440 total suspensions for racist abuse across England in the past 10 terms
What they're saying: "The surge in racist incidents in schools is deeply troubling — no child should attend school fearing discrimination," says Dr Shabna Begum, CEO at the Runnymede Trust.
The other side: Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, suggests online hate content may be fuelling the trend: "This is a complex issue but is likely being driven in part by the spreading of hateful content online and we would like to see better regulation put in place to stop this from happening."
For context: Racist abuse accounts for 1.4% of all school suspensions in the autumn 2023 term, slightly down from 1.6% three years ago. Suffolk schools issued 4,963 suspensions in total during the 2023-24 autumn term.
What's next: The Department for Education says it is "looking closely at how we can go further to support teachers and drive up standards for all our children."
The bottom line: While Suffolk schools are taking disciplinary action against racist abuse, experts advocate for more proactive strategies, including staff training on racial literacy and implementing comprehensive anti-racist policies.
