Letter: Lawrence tragedy

Sir: The rooting out of racism from our society will remain an improbable Utopia unless our educational system can be drastically overhauled.

It has often been stated that education is the key to changing social attitudes towards greater tolerance and compassion, but there is little evidence that such a polemic is put into practice. Our children ought to be imbued with trans-cultural values and encouraged, from an early age, to appreciate that non-Caucasian races have made significant contributions throughout history to all aspects of human endeavour, ranging from mathematics and astronomy, through philosophy to the visual and literary arts. A history of mathematics that does not accord the Indians their due place in this subject (the Indians invented the concept of zero, for instance) is racist beyond dispute.

My own experiences as an Asian academic and parent living and working in Britain for over three decades have convinced me that racism is rife in our educational system. With frequent instances of children being subjected to "paki" insults, and academics covertly mistreating their black and Asian counterparts, it is clear to me that change is long overdue. There can be no future for a multicultural Britain unless our highest seats of learning set an example to the rest.

CHANDRA WICKRAMASINGHE

Professor of Applied Mathematics and Astronomy

University of Wales, Cardiff