RTC Director

More than 87,000 racist incidents recorded in schools

Nearly 88,000 racist incidents were recorded in Britain's schools between 2007 and 2011, the BBC has found.

Data from 90 areas shows 87,915 cases of racist bullying, which can include name calling and physical abuse.

Birmingham recorded the highest number of incidents at 5,752, followed by Leeds with 4,690. Camarthenshire had the lowest number with just 5 cases.

A racist incident is defined as any situation perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person.

In response to the local authority figures, obtained under a Freedom of Information request, the Department for Education said racism needed to be "rooted out".

Lawrence inquiry

Following the inquiry into the murder of teenager Stephen Lawrence, the previous government said schools in England and Wales must monitor and report all incidents of racist abuse to their local authority.

However, the coalition government has changed that guidance and schools now have no duty to record and report the data.

Between 2007 and 2010 - the last year that heads had an obligation to record cases - recorded racist incidents in schools in England, Scotland and Wales rose from 22,285 to 23,971.

Many areas including Luton, Oldham, Croydon, Bedford and Middlesbrough saw an increase of 40% or more over the period 2007/08 to 2009/10.

In Cardiff, there was a 32% increase in cases of racism in schools in that time from 186 to 246.

In Aberdeenshire, cases rose by two cases in the same period from 22 to 24 and in Angus from 13 to 16.

In 2010/11, when the new reporting guidelines came into force, reported cases of racist bullying fell to 18,996.

'Tip of iceberg'

Sarah Soyei, of the anti-racism educational charity, Show Racism the Red Card (SRRC), said: "Unfortunately, the numbers of recorded racist incidents are just the tip of the iceberg.

"Racism is a very real issue in many classrooms around the country, but cases of racist bullying are notoriously underreported.

"Often teachers may not be aware of racism in their classrooms because victims are scared of reporting them out of fear of making the situation worse."

Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said: "These numbers are disappointingly high - we would really hope this is not the tip of the iceberg.

"Clearly were would not want any cases of racist abuse or racism in any of our schools."

Many local education authorities say that the increase in reported incidents - up until 2010/11 when the guidance changed - is due to better recording methods.

However, anti-racism charities say that it is a growing problem in many regions.

"We are seeing a real increase in racism in some areas which is down to factors like a growth of Islamaphobia in society which is filtering into classrooms," said Ms Soyei.

"Racism towards eastern European and gypsy and traveller communities is also on the increase," she added.

Teaching unions say the key to tackling the problem in schools is through education for both teachers and students.

Charities have been delivering anti-racism lessons in schools across the country in an attempt to educate young people against racism.

'Box-ticking'

But both unions and anti-racism charities fear that the government's new reporting guidance of racism in schools is a mistake.

"It is not just a box ticking exercise, we absolutely do need recording and reporting of all racist incidents," said Christine Blower.

A spokesman for the Department for Education said: "Racism needs to be rooted out wherever it occurs, and particularly in schools, where every child has the right to learn in an environment free from prejudice."

The department defended the change in its guidance for schools.

"It is teachers and parents - not central government - that know what is happening in their schools, and they are best placed to deal with racist behaviour when it happens.

"We would expect all schools to implement their own processes to ensure they are dealing with racist incidents in the most appropriate way, rather than being bogged down with paperwork from the centre - which can sometimes mean that the most serious cases of racism are not dealt with."

by RTC Director

Montreal crowds mark 100 days of student protest

Tens of thousands of demonstrators have filled the streets of Montreal to mark 100 days since protests began against a planned rise in student tuition fees.

People chanted "Our streets!" and carried signs and red banners. There were no reports of arrests.

An emergency bill passed by Quebec's government on Friday was aimed at curbing the protests by requiring marches to follow pre-approved routes.

Rallies since then have turned violent, with 300 arrests on Sunday alone.

Protesters say the law, Bill 78, infringes their democratic right to express themselves. They have pledged to contest it in court.

Quebec has the lowest tuition rates in Canada. The government's proposal would raise them by 80%, in increments of $254 per year (£160) for seven years.

'Massive, collective disobedience'

Most of Tuesday's protesters followed a route submitted to police in advance, in accordance with the emergency bill.

However, some protesters linked with Classe, a student group with a no-compromise reputation, chose to defy the law and break away from the crowds.

Classe also said it would continue to agitate through the summer, a time of year when Montreal hosts outdoor festivals and attracts large numbers of tourists.

"Thousands of people have come to demonstrate with us, not only against the rise in tuition rates but with the intention to signal their disapproval of the special law," Classe leader Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois told the Associated Press news agency.

"The gesture made by tens of thousands is one of massive and collective civil disobedience."

But Quebec's minister of public safety, Robert Dutil, countered that many cities - including Geneva, New York, Los Angeles and Toronto - have implemented comparable legislation.

"Other societies with rights and freedoms to protect have found it reasonable to impose certain constraints, first of all to protect protesters, and also to protect the public," Mr Dutil told reporters.

The bill requires activists to provide the police with eight hours' notice of when and where protests are planned to take place, or face heavy fines.

Small protests took place in New York and Paris on Tuesday in solidarity with the movement in Montreal.

In Quebec, the provincial government has not backed away from the proposed increases of tuition fees, and Premier Jean Charest has been criticised by opposition parties for his handling of the protests.

Mr Charest must call an election before 2013.

by RTC Director

Two Charged in Killings of Chinese Students in Los Angeles

A Los Angeles court Tuesday charged two men who allegedly shot to death two Chinese graduate students with capital murder — a charge that could bring the death penalty.

The suspects allegedly killed Ming Qu and Ying Wu as the students sat in their car near the University of Southern California in April.

Police say the two were shot during a robbery.

The parents of the students are suing the university, saying the school misrepresented the area where the crime took place as safe.

About 2,500 Chinese students attend USC.

by RTC Director

Egyptians Hold Historic Presidental Election

Egyptians vote Wednesday in a historic presidential election that pollsters say is too close to call, with a choice of candidates touting radically different visions for the country's future.

No outright winner is expected from the two-day poll, so a runoff is scheduled for June 16-17 between the two top finishers. The winner will be announced June 21.

Four main contenders have emerged from a field of 13 on the eve of Egypt's biggest test yet of its transition from decades of military dictatorship to democratic civilian rule.

Two of the front-runners served under former president Hosni Mubarak and have promised to restore stability and ensure secular rule.

Former foreign minister and Arab League chief Amr Moussa, a liberal who has been a public figure for years, seemed to be leading the pack until the last few days. But recent polls have shown the rise of Ahmed Shafiq, a former Air Force commander and Mr. Mubarak's last prime minister, who enjoys the support of Egypt's powerful military.

The two are running against a pair of Islamist candidates.

Mohamed Morsi, who represents Egypt's powerful Muslim Brotherhood, entered the race late but has benefited from the group's effective political machine, which has campaigned door-to-door.

His rise has come at the expense of the moderate Islamist candidate, Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh. A former Brotherhood member, Aboul Fotouh's campaign is geared to a wide range of Egyptian voters, from liberals to hardline Salafi Muslims and Christians.

But analysts say such a broad appeal has grown harder to maintain as rhetoric sharpens on all sides.

Shafiq has risen in the polls by targeting a population frustrated with Egypt's turbulent transition, plagued by violent clashes, an ever-increasing wave of violent crime and an economy in disarray.

Egypt's widespread lawlessness has overshadowed daily life since the revolution that began in January 2011. It is the most prominent issue in the presidential race.

A victory for either of the secularist candidates would mark a significant turn from parliamentary elections just six months ago when more than 70 percent of voters cast ballots for Islamist parties.

The head of Egypt's independent Baseera polling firm told the French news agency that 33 percent of those surveyed on May 16 were still undecided.

by RTC Director

Attack on Mali's Interim President Sparks Condemnation

Mali residents are expressing shock at an attack on the country's interim president by protesters unhappy with an agreement to let him stay in office for a year. West African leaders have condemned the attack and threatened sanctions on those it finds responsible for trying to block a return to civilian government, two months after a military coup.

Tuesday marks the end of Mali's interim president Dioncounda Traore's initial 40-day mandate.

However, the soldiers who ousted the nation's previous leader in March signed a deal Sunday with West African regional bloc ECOWAS.  The accord keeps Traore in charge for one year to organize elections.

Hundreds protested that agreement Monday in Bamako.

They screamed "Down with ECOWAS" and "Mali is a sovereign nation.  Mali can choose its own president."

Protesters broke down the door to Traore's office at the palace and beat him unconscious after demanding he step down.  

The interim leader has been released from the hospital where he was treated for what his staff said were not life-threatening head wounds.

Some see Traore as part of a much-disliked political elite.  As head of the National Assembly, Traore was designated by Mali's constitution to take the reins following the military coup.  

Speaking on state TV Monday night, interim Prime Minister Cheikh Modibo Diarra said what happened was shameful.  He called on those who took to the streets to stop protesting.  He said vandalism and looting are not what the country needs right now.

Banks were closed in Bamako Tuesday, fearing further unrest.  However, the capital was calm.

Malians, even those opposed to the ECOWAS decision, expressed shock and dismay at Monday's attack.

Diakite Boubacar says they should respect the institution of the presidency.  He says it is a question of Mali's honor.  He says he doesn't want Traore to stay in power, but he is against the attack.  He says they can deal with this situation without physically attacking him.

Suspicion has fallen on pro-junta soldiers who may have helped protesters enter the palace.

Bamako resident Fadala Toure asks how could a protest that began at 9 a.m. on the other side of the city wind up at the presidential palace?  She says she doesn't understand how people could have gotten inside to assault the president.  

ECOWAS says it is investigating how the attack could take place despite security at the palace. The bloc also says it will impose sanctions against those it finds to be orchestrating unrest aimed at derailing the return to constitutional order.

U.N. Security Council representatives, on a visit to Ivory Coast Monday, reiterated their support for ECOWAS efforts in Mali.

Geraud Araud, France's permanent representative to the United Nations, says ECOWAS' diplomatic efforts have been conducted with a lot of courage, perseverance and determination to find a solution based on the departure of the military junta.  He says he doesn't want to say that these efforts have now failed but they have been put in considerable danger by these latest developments.  He says it may be necessary to consider other avenues.

The accord that junta leader Captain Amadou Sanogo signed with ECOWAS Sunday gives him the status and privileges of a former head of state.  However, it is unclear what role he will play in the year to come.  The captain continued to exercise considerable influence even after Traore's interim government was put in place April 12.  

Northern Mali remains in the hands of armed groups that seized power in the days following the coup, effectively cutting the country in half.

ECOWAS has offered to deploy regional peacekeepers to Mali. The nation's military, already unable to halt the rebellion in the north earlier this year, is in shambles following the coup. Analysts say the situation in the north is unlikely to change in the near future.

by RTC Director