Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú

There's an argument about racism in the UK right now.

It's because of a report that said Britain is better at dealing with racism than other similar countries.

The report, set up by the government to look at inequality in the UK, found no evidence of institutional racism and said there is "no longer" a system that puts people from ethnic minorities at a disadvantage.

But anti-racism campaigners are unhappy with the findings, and some have called it "divisive" and a missed opportunity for change in Britain.

Racism can take many forms.

Sometimes racism can be seen through verbal or even physical abuse towards someone because they come from a certain ethnic or cultural background.

Other elements of racism are harder to see but do still happen. For example schools or workplaces operating in a way that discriminates against people, including children, because of their race.

It means people from certain backgrounds are at a disadvantage or treated differently to white people and this is what is described as systemic, structural or institutional racism.

For example school rules that discriminate against black and brown pupils, banning natural hairstyles like afros, or being excluded more than other groups are often examples used to explain institutional racism in education.

The criminal justice system, the term used to describe law enforcement and punishment for crime is another example that is talked about. Stats show that black children were more likely to be arrested than white children in 2018/2019 and black adults were nearly 10 times more likely to be stopped and searched.

The Prime Minister Boris Johnson appointed the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities following last summer's Black Lives Matter protests which happened following the death of George Floyd, a black man stopped by police in America.

The commission looked at the difference in how people are treated because of ethnicity and race within education, employment, the criminal justice system and health. They published a 258-page report on their findings.

The commission's report said that the UK is not yet a "post-racial country" - meaning there is still racism in Britain, but added that there has been success in removing things like race-related barriers in education.

It said children from minority ethnic communities were not disadvantaged by race at school and did as well or better than white pupils.

The report added that other countries similar to Britain that also have a majority white population should copy the UK when it comes to racial equality in education and the workplace.

The commission also claimed that there was a "reluctance to acknowledge that the UK had become open and fairer" from some groups.

And suggested that the well-meaning "idealism" of many young people who claim the country is still institutionally racist is not backed by the evidence.

The government has been accused of trying to downplay institutional racism in the UK.

Dr Halima Begum, chief executive of the Runnymede Trust, a race equality organisation, said she felt "massively let down" by the report, and that the government did not have the confidence of black and minority ethnic communities.

"Institutionally, we are still racist, and for a government-appointed commission to look into [institutional] racism, to deny its existence is deeply, deeply worrying."

Speaking to Newsround, Professor Kalwant Bhopal, Director of the Centre for Research in Race & Education at the University of Birmingham, says the report is "dangerous" because it has completely "missed the point" and doesn't reflect the lived-in experiences of children in Britain.

"I think [some] children will feel let down," she said.

"What the report fails to do is represent the day-to-day reality of racism in schools.

"Young people need to be able to call it out, tell an adult, tell a teacher, do something about it."

The head of the government-appointed race commission and person in charge of the report, Dr Tony Sewell, said: "No-one denies and no-one is saying racism doesn't exist

"However, evidence of actual institutional racism? No, that wasn't there, we didn't find that."

Newsround has contacted Dr Sewell for a further comment in relation to the experiences of children at school, but has had no response so far.

The Prime Minister described the report as an "important piece of work", adding: "It is now right that the government considers their recommendations in detail, and assesses the implications for future government policy.

"The entirety of government remains fully committed to building a fairer Britain."

Let us know in the comments if you think there is institutional racism in Britain? Do feel it's a fair place to live for people of all backgrounds?