Turkish mother sparks campaign against racism in Finnish schools

Résumé détaillé

The campaign has drawn dozens of members since three parents shared concerns on LinkedIn about changing attitudes towards immigrants and minority groups.

Falay wrote the original post after hearing from her teenage child about racist comments dismissed as jokes, symbols appearing in school corridors, and stickers being passed around. She urged other parents to ask their children what they see at school and online, and what happens when someone makes a racist joke.

Three parents shared their concerns on LinkedIn about changing attitudes towards immigrants and minority groups. Dozens of people have since joined the campaign, Finnish public broadcaster Yle reported on Wednesday.

Falay said some teachers had told her they needed better tools to respond. She urged parents to speak to one another and ask schools what they were observing and how they were responding to incidents of racism.

“If we oppose racism, we also need to participate actively in creating the culture we want our children to grow up in,” she wrote.

One parent told Yle that racist slurs were now more widely tolerated, adding that such language was increasingly visible in online spaces frequented by young people.

Another parent said two teenagers had attacked her eight-year-old child as the child cycled home from school.

Researchers have warned that far-right rhetoric can reach young people through jokes, memes and irony.

A Finnish Red Cross survey found that 95 per cent of respondents aged 15 to 24 had experienced or witnessed racism online. Separately, a study by Finland’s Police University College found that the number of suspected hate crimes reported to police had reached a record high for the third consecutive year.

Finland’s Security and Intelligence Service has warned that social media platforms are being used to influence and recruit young people.

Début de l'article, extrait de TRT World. Pour lire la suite, ouvrez l'article chez le média.