CONCERNS have been raised around a lack of information around incidents of racism in schools in Monmouthshire.

A meeting of a Monmouthshire Council committee this week heard a task a finish group has been set up to deal with racist incidents in schools, and to determine how they are dealt with.

Speaking at the meeting of the authority's strong communities select committee, leader of the council's Labour Group Cllr Dimitri Batrouni said data on these incidents needed to be looked at more closely.

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“Fifty per cent of our schools don’t do anti-racism in their curriculum," he said. “Primary schools seem to have a particular problem and there seems to be six quite serious incidents of race related incidents.

“Schools themselves say that 45 per cent of them would like training around skin colour and difference and that’s just not reflected in the report.”

The council’s policy officer for equality Alan Burkitt said he was aware that there had been issues in reporting of bullying and racist incidents in schools.

He said: “We’ve got a task and finish group. We are looking at the best practice from the schools that actually return their forms in.

“We are looking for them to work with us to disseminate that good practice across the schools in Monmouthshire.

“It is an issue.”

Although Mr Burkitt admitted that he didn’t know why schools weren’t reporting it.

He said: “As far as I’m concerned this need to be addressed full stop regardless of what the issues are.”

The task and finish group will conduct a more in-depth review on why schools aren’t reporting racism and how it can be overcome.