IT has been reported that up to 40,000 school children a year are placed on a ‘Hate Register’ by order of the Government. It is also reported that as from September this year all UK schools will be required to keep a register of incidents involving even primary school pupils if they use language that could be deemed homophobic or racist even if the children do not even know what the words mean.

Local authorities will then be required to make this information available to Westminster.

Of course this has rightly been roundly condemned.

Margaret Morrissey, founder of campaign group Parents Outloud, said: ‘This is totally appalling. The use of such language is part of the learning process. Children need to learn where the boundaries lie. And I very much doubt they understand what they are saying.

‘This does not mean that the behaviour shouldn’t be challenged. It must be explained that it is wrong. But to keep a register that will haunt them for years to come is going far too far and is against all rights.’ Michele Elliott of the charity Kidscape said: ‘Children are being criminalised and singled out here from a very early age when they don’t know what they’re doing.’ Tory MP Ann Widdecombe said: ‘Abuse in the playground has always happened and always will.

‘Children have to learn to take this as part of growing up and you can’t punish children for doing something they don’t understand while they are very young’. Courtesy of the Daily Mail.

UKIP of course would immediately abandon such a directive and leave decision making in schools to Headteachers. One wonders if Swindon schools have been following this directive already as it has been piloted for several years it would appear.

ROBERT FEAL-MARTINEZ Head of Media Relations UKIP Swindon