A dad claimed his 11-year-old son was bullied in school for speaking Russian following the war in Ukraine.
Michael Belcher's mother-in-law is Ukrainian, and his wife, Oksana, is Latvian. However Mr Belcher says his son has been targeted and "called Russian" by other children.
He spoke out about the experience after a Russian language school, based out of a primary school in Warrington on Saturday, was forced to close last weekend. A local councillor told the Manchester Evening News the move was forced by "safeguarding concerns" after the host primary school received "aggressive letters."
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Mr Belcher said: "We feel if this kind of intolerance and bigotry persisted it would lead to other (Russian) school closures across the UK. There is an importance of tolerance and respect towards each other, so as to not to make young children feel hated. Why are children in the middle of it all?"
Mr Belcher said of his own family: "We have lots of connections with the Ukraine, we have friends who are trying to get their family over the border. My own son was insulted at school - children calling him Russian and being aggressive against him, when we are crying all the time in our house speaking to relatives in Ukraine who cannot escape yet. My son believes 100% he is English and our whole family support Ukraine."
Mr Belcher spoke out after it emerged that a Russian language, history and dance session operating out of St Wilfrid's C of E in Grappenhall, Warrington, had to cancel its meeting last week. Mr Belcher, who is from Cheshire, has no connection to the school, but defends Russian Saturday schools as part of the culture of families with connections to former Eastern Bloc countries, like his own, describing how Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy is himself a Russian speaker.
He said: "My wife speaks Russian and she is Latvian, and her mother is from Ukraine. The schools have children that come mostly from Latvian, Lithuanian, Ukrainian and half-English parents, some children speak Russian already and some do not and so families want their children to be able to talk with relatives and learn about culture from mainly ex-Soviet countries.
"The schools are not just about teaching Russian, some teaching is also Ukrainian as both languages are similar. Most Ukrainians speak both languages as they have relatives in Russia. The schools in England are not about Russian language solely and teachers themselves march in support of Ukraine and many are offering rooms in their homes to Ukrainian refugees that can come to the UK."
Councillor Sarah Hall, Warrington Council's Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said the classes will be resuming.
She added: "Late on Friday (March 11) I understand a decision was taken by St Wilfrid’s Primary School, in conjunction with Warrington Borough Council officers, to ask the Russian School, which operates out of St Wilfrid’s C of E Primary School on Saturday mornings, not to proceed for the following day.
"The decision was taken after the school received aggressive letters in which threats were implied if the classes were to continue. The tone of these letters caused the school significant concern.
"Children of various ages attend the Solnyshko Russian Saturday school. Ensuring the safety of both the pupils and teachers on Saturday was the first priority of both the primary school head teacher and council officers.
"Therefore, due to safeguarding concerns, the decision was taken not to run the classes for one week’s session while the threats were properly investigated and action taken to ensure the safety of the children and staff.
"The risks have now been properly assessed and steps have been taken to ensure the safety of pupils and teachers and therefore the classes will resume this week.
"It is vital that people here in Warrington, and indeed across this country, never make the mistake of conflating the speaking and learning of Russian, or the appreciation of Russian language and culture, with the deplorable and horrific actions of Vladimir Putin.
"We should remind ourselves that Russian is widely spoken across a number of countries adjacent to Russia, including Ukraine. I condemn outright those who have written hateful anonymous and aggressive letters to St Wilfrid's with regard to the Russian school's longstanding arrangement for the hiring of its premises.
"We must ensure that Warrington provides a welcoming, tolerant and compassionate approach not only to the Ukrainian and Russian people who have made this town their home, but also to those who may come here as refugees. All Ukrainians will be in agony about the atrocities happening to their homeland.
"But we should also extend the same spirit of tolerance and solidarity to the many ordinary Russians who are bravely repudiating Putin's actions and reject entirely his war as not being carried out in their name."
