Coronavirus: British boarding schools urged to stay alert to xenophobia towards Chinese students after outbreak

‘Action should be taken against anyone acting in this way,’ warns independent school group

British boarding schools have been warned to look out for Chinese pupils being subjected to xenophobia by other students following the coronavirus outbreak.

Following the spread of the disease that has killed 81 since its outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the Boarding Schools Association (BSA) has issued guidance for fee-paying schools in the UK, where pupils from China account for one in six international students.

Action should be taken against any students who are prejudiced against Chinese pupils, the advice to private schools says.

It comes after independent school groups in the UK urged schools to consider making plans for pupils who are unable or unwilling to travel home for half term due to the viral disease.

Students who travel to China may need to be quarantined before returning to school depending on the how the virus spreads, according to the updated BSA guidance published on Monday.

It adds that some schools have already cancelled visits from parents, agents and pupils from China.

In a section on supporting pupils, the BSA says it is natural that all students will be concerned.

The guidance says the boarding schools should “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 behaviour should not be tolerated and action should be taken against anyone acting in this way.”

On the issue of xenophobia, a BSA spokesperson said: “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.”

China has stepped up its efforts to contain the coronavirus by locking down 17 cities, with more than 50 million people affected by the travel restrictions, after the death toll rose to 81.

Some 52 people have been tested for the viral disease in Britain, with all tests returning negative, according to the Department of Health.