The coronavirus outbreak has triggered a warning to be wary of xenophobia to be issued across boarding schools in the UK.
The Boarding Schools’ Association issued new instructions that its members should be watchful for prejudice against Chinese pupils by others, be it online or in person.
Recent figures say that China sends more pupils to UK fee-paying schools than anywhere else in the world, with one sixth of international students hailing from the country.
However the guidance from the BSA adds that pupils who have been to China should be told when they get back to the UK that they may be quarantined, and face other “protective measures”.
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The coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan, Hubei, in central China, has killed at least 81 people and infected thousands of others across 10 countries.
At least 73 people in the UK have been tested for the virus, but all came back negative.
Updated information published on the BSA’s website gives its member schools information on the virus and advice on dealing with the situation.
In a section on supporting students, the guidance says it is natural that students, particularly those from China, will be concerned.
The BSA suggests that pupils from affected areas should be “suitably and publicly supported”.
“They will be worried about themselves but more particularly about their friends and families,” the advice says.
And it also counsels schools to, “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,” it adds.
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.”
A separate section on pupils travelling to China advises schools that they should tell students who decide to travel that “protective measures could well be in place before they return”.
“Depending on how the virus spreads in that time, this could include the need for returning pupils to be quarantined,” it says.
Schools should work with guardians to develop quarantine processes, the guidance says, adding: “This should not be seen as an over-reaction or ‘scare-mongering’ but is based on experience gained from the progress of previous such diseases.”
The BSA also says it understands that some schools have already cancelled visits from prospective parents, agents and pupils from China.
“While cancellation may be unnecessary, it is obviously prudent to minimise any unnecessary risk,” it says.
Additional reporting by PA Media.
