Teachers and students of Chinese descent are being singled out for "abuse, prejudice, xenophobia and racism" due to the spread of the coronavirus in the UK, according to a teachers' union.
The NASUWT wrote to education minister Gavin Williamson on Wednesday warning that it had received more "'jokes'”, banter, racist name-calling, intimidation" against people of Chinese origin and of other ethnic minorities since the first coronavirus cases in the country.
Alleged incidents reportedly include "report of groups of pupils playing an 'unsavoury' game of tag named after the coronavirus", according to the PA news agency.
Chris Keates, acting general secretary of the NASUWT, said: “The NASUWT is extremely concerned at the extent of increased incidences of abuse, prejudice, xenophobia and racism as a result of the coronavirus (Covid-19)."
The letter added: “Misinformation and false reporting about the coronavirus, its causes and how it is spread have fuelled fear and panic and in some cases led to the ostracising of people of East Asian heritage and others perceived to be ‘foreign’ or an ‘immigrant’ within the UK.
“Unfortunately, schools and colleges are not exempt from the associated xenophobic and racialised stereotyping of Chinese and other East Asian people.
“The NASUWT has received reports of increased covert and overt racial attacks perpetrated against some minority ethnic pupils and NASUWT members linked to coronavirus concerns.”
The letter comes amid growing concern about incidents of coronavirus-related racism towards east Asian people in the UK.
Chinese ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming said last month that he had received reports of racism related to the coronavirus in British universities and schools.
But Jenny Wong, director of the Manchester Chinese Centre, told the Evening Standard that although she had received several reports of racism from children when news of the coronavirus first, now that people in the UK have had the virus, there have been many fewer incidents.
"In January, I think people here believed it was just Chinese people who could get coronavirus", Ms Wong, said "But since it has come here, there has been much less racism."
The Department for Education has been contacted for comment.
Jonathan Mok, a Singaporean student in London, said he was attacked on Oxford Street by a group of men who shouted "I don't want your coronavirus in my country'".
