Student injured in racist school attack

A racist attack on a Fijian-Indian student at a Christchurch school was not isolated, the student's mother says.

Mohammed Akif, 15, suffered a cracked cheekbone, chipped tooth, cut to the head and bruised ribs when he was set upon by other students on Tuesday, The Press reported.

He arrived in Christchurch only three weeks ago to join his mother, who had a two-year work permit.

Zeenat Akif said her son was walking along a corridor when a group of students who had been sent out of a classroom attacked him.

He was punched, kicked and pinned against a wall, and called racist names, she said.

It wasn't the first time the group had bullied her son but he had not reported other incidents to teachers, she said.

She had spoken to other parents in the Indian community who said their children had been bullied too.

Linwood College principal Rob Burrough said a 15-year-old boy involved in the attack had been suspended, and another boy who had used racial taunts had also been suspended, and "his future at school is also under question now".

Mr Burrough said the school would pay Mohammad's medical fees and seek compensation from his attacker.

The attack was caught on security cameras, and was unprovoked.

The school was embarrassed, disappointed and angered by the attack, he said.

Mrs Akif said she brought her children to New Zealand from Suva to get away from violence there.

New Brighton police are investigating the assault.

- NZPA