UK schools warned over coronavirus xenophobia

Boarding schools in the United Kingdom have been advised to be alert to signs of xenophobia among pupils as a result of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

There are fears that the outbreak of the virus in China might lead to verbal harassment toward international students with family members living in affected areas.

The Boarding Schools' Association, or BSA, which represents 550 independent and state boarding schools, advised to its members to look out for prejudice toward Chinese students by others – either in person or on social media.

In an official memo sent to member schools, the BSA warned: "Stay alert for any signs of xenophobia by students towards one another, or by any external audiences, either in school or on social media sites.

"Such behavior should not be tolerated, and action should be taken against anyone acting in this way," it said.

On the issue of xenophobia, a BSA spokesperson said there had been no reports of incidents. "We have not heard of anything happening in our schools, and we don't envisage it happening in our schools, we are trying to make sure we are covering every eventuality."

The BSA said schools should advise pupils against travelling to China and Hong Kong over the coming February half-term break, adding: "Advise those who decide to travel that protective measures could well be in place before they return. Depending on how the virus spreads in that time, this could include the need for returning pupils to be quarantined."

The association said some schools had already cancelled planned visits from China, including from prospective students and their families – although this might not be a requirement, the organization did say it "prudent to minimize any unnecessary risk". This could mean allowing pupils to stay in school over half-term, says the guidance.

It urges schools to draw up plans in case children need to be kept in quarantine following travel to affected areas. "This should not be seen as an over-reaction or scare-mongering," the guidance states, "but is based on experience gained from the progress of previous such diseases".

The Guardian notes that during the Sars outbreak of 2003, many schools were forced to quarantine pupils as they had already traveled home for Easter before the spread of the virus was identified.

The BSA warns schools of a "rapidly changing situation" and are told to look out for relevant symptoms. Based on the current situation, the BSA suggests school leaders consider "how the school would respond to a suspected or confirmed case". They have been told to ensure there are plans in place if there is a suspected case of the virus, including how to isolate a child.

According to a 2019 Independent Schools Council report, which counts the number of students at UK private schools with parents living overseas, there are more than 7,000 students with parents living in the Chinese mainland and nearly 5,000 with parents in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The vast majority of those pupils study at boarding schools.

TES, a weekly UK newspaper aimed at education professionals, reports that China sends more pupils to UK fee-paying schools than any other country, with the latest figures indicating that Chinese children make up about one in six of all international students.

The number of Chinese students at UK universities has soared – rising by 34 percent in the last five years, reports the BBC. It notes that 120,000 Chinese students are currently enrolled in UK universities, but the number of Chinese pupils at private schools in the UK has also grown in recent years.

Updated guidance published on the BSA's website gives member schools information on the virus and advice on dealing with the situation.

In a section on supporting students, the BSA guidance says it is natural that young people, particularly those from China, will be concerned. It suggests that pupils from affected areas should be "suitably and publicly supported".

"They will be worried about themselves but more particularly about their friends and families," the advice says.

On Monday the Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that people who have come to the UK from the Wuhan area should "self-isolate" themselves, even if they have no apparent symptoms.

The advice from the health secretary is that this self-isolation should last for 14 days from the date of leaving Wuhan.