NICOLA Sturgeon has condemned racist abuse of pupils at a primary school in Glasgow’s southside.
The headteacher was forced to phone police after a number of messages were left on social media following a visit to St Albert’s by the First Minister last week.
Ms Sturgeon was at the school - which is in her Southside constituency - to talk to pupils about climate change.
SNP MSP Kaukab Stewart raised the abuse in Holyrood on Thursday, in a wider question about racism in educational settings.
She told the First Minister that some ethnic minority teaching professionals had experienced racist online abuse after sharing their plans for more diversity in Scottish education at the Scottish learning festival,
Ms Stewart asked Ms Sturgeon to join her “in condemning the racist abuse faced by St Albert’s primary school in her constituency and the racist graffiti that has been found on the campus of the University of Glasgow in my constituency?
“Will she further agree with me that anti-racist education is important in ensuring a more diverse and inclusive Scotland?”
The First Minister said she “whole-heartedly” agreed with that.
She added: “No one should ever experience racism and we all have a duty to stand firmly in solidarity with anyone who does and against those who are racist.
“The vile racist abuse directed at teaching professionals, staff and children on the back of the Scottish learning festival should be condemned and I condemn it.
“I make a particular comment, given how close to my heart the experience of pupils at St Albert’s primary in my constituency of Pollokshields is.
“I know St Albert’s very well. It is a fantastic school with a fantastic headteacher, fantastic teachers and outstanding young people. I was privileged to visit the school on Friday, as I have been many times in the past.
“Racism sickens me, but there is nothing that turns my stomach more than the idea of adults—whether from Scotland or anywhere else in the world—who can look at a photograph of beautiful, clever children and see only the colour of their skin.
“It is despicable, it is disgusting, it has no place in Scotland and I hope that all of us will unite in utter condemnation of vile racists everywhere.”
Clare Harker, headteacher at St Albert's, said the school were “horrified” by the abuse.
She added: “Thankfully the pupils in the photo are unaware of the online abuse as they're so young, but all the teachers and parents are appalled.
"Thank you to everyone, including the First Minister, for their messages of support for the children and school. Their kind words have helped reaffirm our faith in human beings following the disgusting online abuse.
"People should not be afraid to report hate crime. It is very important that, when it happens, we all do so. In our experience, the police will treat it very seriously."
Superintendent Patrick Murphy, of Police Scotland, said they were continuing with enquiries and providing support to St Albert's Primary School.
He added: "Police Scotland operates a zero tolerance approach to hate crime on social media platforms and those identified will be dealt with in the appropriate manner.
"We would encourage anyone to report social media hate crime offences to Police Scotland on 101 or at a designated third party reporting centre.
“We are committed to providing a professional and consistent approach to victims of hate crime, treating everyone equally with due regard to their differences.”
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