Muslim students too afraid to go to school after Christchurch attack

A school principal said her Muslim students were too scared to turn up for school following the Christchurch terror attack.

Fifty people were killed in two mosque attacks in Christchurch on Friday.

Tania McDonald, the principal of Brockville Full Primary School in Dunedin on New Zealand’s South Island, told the Otago Daily Times only a third of her school’s 28 Muslim students showed up for class on Monday.

She told the paper students are “very frightened” and most of the Muslim students at the school are Syrian refugees. Some even know victims from Friday’s attack.

And some of those that did return to school appeared uncomfortable.

”One of them didn’t wear her headscarf. She just wants to be like everybody else, which is very sad,” Ms McDonald told the Times.

The school has a social worker on campus working with students with Red Cross victim support also called in. There is also increased staff roaming the playground and a heightened police presence at schools in Dunedin.

Yahoo7 has contacted the school for comment.

Student, teacher identified as victims

A number of the 50 killed in the attack have already been identified.

Naeem Rashid, a local teacher born in Pakistan, was named as one of them.

Mr Rashid tried to tackle the gunman but was shot in the process.

He’s been hailed a hero, but he and his 21-year-old son died.

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Sayyad Milne, a 14-year-old student at Christchurch’s Cashmere High School, was also killed, the New Zealand Herald reported.

Sayyad’s father John paid tribute to his “brave little soldier” and added his son grew up with a number of health issues.

“I remember him as my baby who I nearly lost when he was born,” he said.

“Such a struggle he’s had throughout all his life. He’s been unfairly treated but he’s risen above that and he’s very brave.”