19 January 2024 , 14:56
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A primary school may have to resort to online learning after it has received sustained bomb and arson threats in the wake of Palestine solidarity, it has been reported.
Barclay Primary School in Leyton, east London, told parents it might have to "revert to online learning" if the safety of children and staff cannot be guaranteed. The news comes after protests erupted outside the school gates on December 21 after a video went viral alleging that an eight-year-old boy was being bullied by teachers for being Palestinian. The school headteacher decided to ban children from wearing pro-Palestinian badges and protestors have accused the school of double standards as a large Ukrainian flag was erected on the gates when the Russia-Ukraine conflict started.
The unnamed boy came to school wearing a patch of the Palestinian flag after war broke out in Gaza and was told to remove it. His parents refused to remove the patch so he stayed home for three weeks. Days later, masked men climbed the fence at night to hang Palestinian flags around its perimeter. The protests forced the school to shut down two days early at the end of last term because of "escalating threats against staff" caused by "malicious fabrications." Now, the school has warned it may have to close "for as long as we believe necessary" because of further threats.
Photos from one of the protests outside the school (TWITTER/X)There's also been anger that a letter was allegedly sent to the parents of pupils who wore Palestinian colours, warning that extremist or divisive comments could lead to referrals to the Prevent team — the government-led programme that aims to stop individuals from becoming terrorists. Justin James, the executive head teacher of the school, has said that no evidence to support any allegations of bullying or misconduct had been found through either an external or internal investigation.
Lion Academy Trust, which runs the school, wrote to parents on January 10, warning that measures were being taken "to secure the school for the benefit of children and staff" amid "despicable threats." The letter published online said that over the Christmas period "a serious threat was received in writing" and shared with police. On January 9, an anonymous caller "made a series of racial slurs and a further threat to commit criminal damage (arson) against the school and to individual staff." The letter said "further measures" would be considered which could mean the school is "closed and reverted to online learning for as long as we believe it is necessary."
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It concluded: "This is the option of last resort – but please be aware that, should staff continue to be threatened, then we will have no option but to close the school. Additionally, if any parent or individual is proven to be involved in instigating this campaign against the school, via their actions online or in-person, we will act to ban those individuals from attending the site(s)."
An anonymous staff member told the Daily Telegraph that a "bomb threat" was made during the Christmas holidays. They said: "This has been further escalated by a recent arson threat and severe threats of violence and abuse of staff over the past weeks." In a statement to the Mirror, the Lion Academy Trust said: "The school and Trust have no further comments to make at this time and we simply ask that our focus on continuing to be an outstanding community primary school is respected and allowed to continue unimpeded."