English Schools Log 55,000 Racist Abuse Suspensions as Prejudicial Cases Jump 68%
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · May 26
English Schools Log 55,000 Racist Abuse Suspensions as Prejudicial Cases Jump 68%
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 26
More than 55,000 suspensions in English schools cited racist abuse between 2020-21 and 2024-25, while homophobic or transphobic abuse was logged over 13,000 times and disablist abuse about 1,600 times.
A 68% rise in mentions of prejudicial abuse over fewer than four years has been linked by education specialists to cuts in anti-bullying outreach, weaker teacher training, social media harms and divisive politics.
BBC analysis found 12 of 15 school-outreach charities had lost central government grants or contracts since 2019, while councils also cut non-statutory prevention work after austerity pressures.
Unions and charities said suspensions are a last resort and warned the figures do not equal individual incidents because schools can record up to three reasons per suspension; England still does not require schools to log all bullying incidents.
The data prompted calls for a national anti-bullying strategy, with the Department for Education calling the figures "shocking" and promising behaviour support, breakfast clubs, teacher training and clearer suspension guidance.
Does a 68% rise in suspensions mean more student hate, or are schools finally taking prejudice seriously?
With prejudice infecting schools and workplaces, is Britain’s entire equality strategy failing?
Documenting the 23% Spike: Racist Abuse and Suspensions in English Schools, 2020–2025
Overview
Between 2020 and 2025, English schools saw a sharp rise in racist abuse incidents, with 11,619 pupils suspended for racist abuse in the 2022-23 academic year—a 23% increase from the previous year. This problem does not affect all students equally; students from Black Caribbean and mixed White and Black Caribbean backgrounds face much higher suspension rates than their white British peers. The report highlights that these figures likely understate the true scale of the issue, as there is no longer a statutory duty for schools to report racist incidents. This lack of mandatory reporting, combined with gaps in policy and teacher training, means the full extent of racist abuse in schools may remain hidden.