Think Equal – Equality Education in Action
Written by Ben Mearhart
M.Ed. in Educational Leadership and in his 10 years as a senior leader developed practices and curricula which progressed teaching, learning, outcomes and personal development to ‘Outstanding’ levels.
Intent
As a joint-Headteacher of a forward-thinking primary school I was always on the look-out for initiatives which spoke to the heart of what I most value – the children’s actual experience and equipping them for leading rewarding lives. Think Equal’s social and emotional literacy programme achieves this and so much more.
I can’t think of anyone I know who wouldn’t benefit from enhanced social and emotional literacy. From engaging the compassion that it can grow, for ourselves and everyone around us. What do you do when you feel completely lost? When you feel you’ve made a terrible mistake? How do you support yourself or others when they feel this way? How do you treat people as they would like to be treated?
This, to my mind, is the true work of a curriculum, of a school; namely to cultivate an authentic social and emotional literacy which is steeled with a depth and breadth of real world understanding that together can make the world we leave for our children better than the one we inherited.
Implementation
You may of course learn such things through trial and error. Or, to be more certain of success, you can embrace social and emotional literacy as a golden thread of your learning and understanding as a student, of your pedagogy and support as a teacher and of your vision and impact as a leader. The mission, content and execution of Think Equal’s programme achieves this too. Bold claims I know, but treat those seeds of doubt to a quick glance at Think Equal’s Committee of Advisors and Academic Partners to see how this might be possible.
From Understanding the World to Personal, Social and Emotional Development – and all the fertile vertical and horizontal links between and beyond – Think Equal’s programme can instantly enhance your curriculum, pastoral care and ultimately the love and cohesion that unites your school community. And at a time when children’s minds – at their most plastic – can be so ripe to engage with what so many adults, myself included, can find paralysingly-awkward and difficult to negotiate in reality. What is true fairness? How are we different and how are we similar? How do I show you that I genuinely appreciate you as a human being? The programme largely enables these developments through consistently engaging and inspiring stories and activities.
Diverse narratives:
At age- and stage-appropriate levels, the children explore and embrace vital concepts like equality, emotion and race within the comparative safety of the experiences and choices of a beautiful range of characters.
Emotional intelligence in action:
Their discoveries are then reinforced with the help of the programme’s carefully scaffolded and inclusive activities so that they are ready to respond when reality calls.
Impact
And oh the difference! At its most essential, we found that our planning for Personal, Social and Emotional Development for the year was pretty much covered. Done.
More importantly…within weeks we saw elevated levels of kindness and consideration. We saw children often reserved and tentative now emboldened and asserting their values. We saw children who knew themselves and their friends with deeper understanding and confidence, who had normalised the range of emotions we experience but not the negative actions they can drive.
Children who, self-confident and upright, were happier, more engaged, independent and much more likely to approach conflict with courage and solutions(!). The positivity rippled through our staff and to home too. These days there is rightly much talk of a mental health and well-being crisis (pre- and post-Covid 19). In times of joy, sorrow and everything in between I don’t think we can expect more than to ride those waves to the best of our ability. Pursuing the Think Equal programme enhances that ability and not as a reactive solution – a bolt on – but as a pro-active and living, breathing and growing reality.
Using Students Voice to understand Diversity
Written by Roma Dhameja
Secondary Vice Principal responsible for Teaching and Learning with a particular passion for Student Voice and teaching students Business, Economics and about Money.
Google ‘What is Diversity’ and you will see it defined as the ‘process of involving people from a range of different social, ethnic, gender, sexuality backgrounds.’ However, the way we often portray it is through a lens of polarisation. White or non-white. Male or Female. We know life is more complex than that. I, as a woman in her 30s of Indian heritage, cannot speak for every woman with that background and in that age bracket. Our experiences vary. It also doesn’t mean I have nothing in common with a middle-aged white man.
This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t endeavour to ensure diversity in our board rooms/staff body. It means we have to pay closer attention to experiences rather than the way we classify ourselves, and that’s why I want to focus on the element of ‘involving people’ in the above definition. Because unless the communication channels are open, our understanding of unique experiences and similarities will remain stunted.
With this in mind, I have loved conducting student voice activities throughout my teaching career. Our students’ backgrounds affect the way they engage with education. I know this, I have experienced this. At age 4, I joined the British education system with English as my third language and not entirely fluent in it either. Rather than celebrate my trilingual abilities, I was always innately aware that having not mastered English first I was seen to have a disadvantage. This became more apparent as I studied English Literature at A Level and whilst my peers could reference Greek Gods I had a wide variety of Hindu God’s I could refer to with an impressive array of powers but none that were going to make me understand references in the poetry required on the syllabus.
Often this lack of exposure to Western cultural references can be seen as a gap, something to fix and fill, and I understand that. After all, we have to prepare our students to pass exams and wrestle with the demands of the English language. But we also have an opportunity to unpick what they come to the table with.
I recently spoke to a group of students with English as an Additional Language and was in awe at the experiences not only they, but their parents had. One spoke to me about his parents being refugees from Pakistan and how his dad had obtained a degree in the Netherlands, which is where he was born and had then moved to the UK at eight. When I asked him of his experience moving to the UK he spoke about how he was going to one up his dad by making sure he did his A Levels in the UK, degree abroad and then an MA in another country. To him the world was his home, he just needed some time to figure out society in each country. He was a global citizen.
I’d gone to speak to these young people to look at home/school communication. Many of the questions had been asked before.
- Do your parents receive the letters we send home?
- Do they read them?
- Is it ok to send them in English or would you prefer them in a different language?
Yes, Yes English is fine, had been the response.
Digging a little deeper, it became apparent that the students were reading the letters going home to their parents. When asked if they read everything, their initial reaction was yes, of course. When I asked them to translate a paragraph for me in Urdu, it became apparent they would skip some bits. This made the school simplify the language of their home communication further, with students giving feedback.
I learnt a lot that day about the way we communicate with our young people and their parents. I learnt a lot about ensuring that we know who we are writing for. I learnt a lot about how many students are happy to talk about their background if they feel comfortable, and we are willing to listen and celebrate the richness of it.
On another occasion I learnt a lot more about why some of our students from diverse backgrounds were not applying to Oxbridge despite having the grades than I ever would sitting making assumptions. I won’t tell you why because their reasons may not be the same as those of the young people not applying at your school. And that’s what we need to unpick, all of us, through regular, consistent student voice activities. What I did love however is how many of them were making the right choices for them, taking into account their culture and the lifestyle they wanted to lead.
We also need to be careful about the way we interpret student experiences. For instance, students’ parents may not attend parents evenings because they have no experience of the British education system and may send older siblings, uncles or aunts instead. In these instances you can have a very engaged extended family. How do we work with that? The cultural experiences of our young people can be very rich and we have to ensure we are not, at some level judging them as good or bad when they may just be different.
Listening to our students’ voices can teach us so much: what our students value in their homes… what shapes their perspectives… who are their role models… This is all powerful knowledge. It is a two-way gift. Not only does it give us an insight into their world, it also encourages them to talk confidently about their experiences, no matter how different to the status quo they may be.
The Room Where It Happens - Promoting Diversity through Fiction in the Sixth Form Library
Written by Olivia Edmonds
Learning Resources Manager (with responsibility for the Library) at FE Level in Birmingham. Former Secondary English teacher of 10 years.
On my first day as a Learning Resources Manager at a Sixth Form College in the Midlands, the then Principal said to me, “Olivia, our students don’t read – and they need to. You need to get our students to read.” This was a challenge I was more than happy to accept, but looking at the wider context of the College, this turned out to be a bigger battle than I first expected. The College is situated in one of the most deprived areas in the country and serves a predominantly ethnic minority community, where many students use English as a Second Language. With limited opportunities to develop their cultural capital and without access to community Libraries (due to Government cuts), it made me realise the importance of the Library I was now in charge of, as well as the impact that it could have on the lives of its students.
My first focus was to make our stock as relevant and engaging for our students as possible. This also presented its own unique challenges. The stock I inherited from the previous Librarian was completely out of date and based on my experience at my first school (which had a similar cultural and religious demographic), not fit for purpose. To me, the importance of representation in books is key to engaging young people in reading, so when the Library shelves contained the works of authors such as Geoffrey Archer and Barbara Cartland, it was easy to see why the Library usage was so low. Couple that with the severe lack of books representing any of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and it was clear to see the areas that needed addressing. I wanted the Library space to be a supportive, inclusive and engaging learning environment. A place in which our students could, in a safe space, learn about and ask questions about things they may have never discussed before and for this to happen, major changes were needed.
Working alongside the College’s Equality and Diversity co-ordinator, as well as a focus group of students and other staff, we worked together to assess what of the current stock was fit for purpose, what stock was unfit for purpose, and what stock could be fit for purpose if appropriately updated. It was the findings of this exercise that I was then able to take to my Line Manager and then onto SLT, who approved the decision for me to fully replace all of our fiction/Reading for Pleasure books with more appropriate, relevant, and engaging stock. This up-front investment in stock has meant that any additional or recently published stock has only needed to be purchased in small amounts to reflect the changing times in which we live.
When choosing new stock, I wanted to ensure that the variety of Own Voices stories was as wide as possible. I felt it was not only important for students to have access to stories relating to issues they have not come across before – such as different religions, sexualities, and cultures – as it was to have access to stories where they have some familiarity. Overall, my main aim in choosing new stock was for our students to be able to see themselves in the texts we have. With continued support from our students, as well as guidance from staff at Peters Books, Browns Books for Schools and our local Waterstones, we were able to create a collection that provided a solid base for us to build on as years passed. This collection has now allowed us to build our students’ engagement with a range of topics, including national and international events and cultural movements (thus improving their cultural capital), and has resulted in increased student loans, in depth liaison with teachers to provide further links between fiction and the Curriculum, and hosting a series of speaker events, ranging from authors to representatives from different religious backgrounds.
I feel that there will never be an end point when it comes to diversifying a Library collection, especially when it comes to Fiction. We live in an ever-changing society, where every day there are new issues raised and new opinions formed. Furthermore, the access to on the spot news being almost instantaneous means we, as Librarians, need to be aware of what our students are consuming and facing. If we can truly allow them to learn and be educated about a wide range of diverse matters in a safe environment, such as our libraries, then we have more chance of our young people being the true change that our world really needs.
Disability Awareness in Secondary PSHE
Written by Sophie McPhee
PSHE Coordinator in a West Midlands grammar school and Programme Director for the national Year 12 health and wellbeing enrichment programme Change Your Mind.
As committed life-long learners (I hope!), we sometimes get those ‘Oh wow!’ moments where suddenly, our eyes have been opened to a concept we’ve never considered before, and may even be obvious once we’re aware of it, but now we see part of the world in a completely new light. This is exactly what happened during a workshop Liz Wright (http://www.elizabethwright.net/) delivered at my school for our annual Mental Health Week in 2020, where she introduced to me and my students the social model of disability. Up to that point, the closest I had come to really thinking about disability in my 36 years was as a child, when my mum said she didn’t like a particular word beginning with ‘s’ commonly used as an insult when I was growing up in the 90s, because it was derived from the accepted term for people like her sister, who had cerebral palsy.
I feel ashamed to admit that I had to actually be taught to view disability as something created by society and not someone’s physical or mental difference – I had never even given disability the space in my brain for that thought to emerge independently. However despite my shame, it was a blessing, too, as it led to the firm decision during that workshop that disability awareness was not going to be a one-off session for an event week, but become a firm fixture in our PSHE curriculum. I will honestly say that I had never even considered doing this before – but isn’t that the point? If something is not within our lived experience – and I use that term broadly, to include having close contacts who are disabled – then the problem is not that we consciously think it doesn’t matter, but that it doesn’t even enter our head in the first place. I guess that this is a kind of unconscious bias – we only grant an issue more than a fleeting awareness if it relates to us in some way.
To be honest, I was also a little scared of covering this topic in my lessons, even if I did firmly feel that like me, my pupils should be woken up to – and the use of ‘woke’ is not accidental here, nor is it a pejorative – how they can be an ally to people with disabilities. There is absolutely such a thing as ‘non-disabled fragility’ (albeit not as catchy as the ‘white’ equivalent), whereby those of us without disabilities are so scared of getting it wrong, or speaking for or over those with lived experience. I am careful to point out in all my lessons that as a socially privileged woman, I am passing on what I have learned, but am by no means done with that learning. I made sure that once I had finished creating my lesson, I sent it to Liz and she kindly checked it over, patiently and gently pointing out a couple of places where I had used ableist language. It was a model of what educating others should look like – non-judgmentally uncovering and explaining problematic language which could have otherwise embedded problematic thinking.
I have now delivered this lesson to classes in Y9-11, some as live lessons, others as a pre-recorded version followed-up by a post-learning quiz. It appears that it has been successful, gaining an average rating of 4.4 out of 5 from students, most of whom said that they intend to change their language as a result of this lesson, both when referring to and talking to disabled people, and now know that common insult words are often derived from terms used in the past to refer to disability. Very often, pupils judge their lessons on whether they need to know the content for an exam or future career, but in PSHE, it’s not always about that, it’s about what others need them to know. We need, through these and other lessons which explore the vast range of human experience, to help pupils understand that creating a more inclusive and just society does relate to them. It might not do so always in a tangible sense, yet it weaves its way into not only our institutions, systems and processes, but also the quotidian, such as our face-to-face and social media interactions. Additionally, I would argue that there is most certainly a personal benefit to this kind of learning. It is incredibly enriching to understand better those whose experiences of life are different to yours. However, our pupils will only appreciate that benefit if they can first move away from viewing the purpose of education as leading to their future in purely material terms. And that is something all schools have in their power to influence.
You can access the disability awareness lesson at theother16hours.wordpress.com.
Getting Skilled and Diverse Governors on Boards
Written by Lydia Bower
Marketing and Communications Manager at education charity Governors for Schools.
The lack of diversity is, and has been for a long time, a problem on school governing boards.
A diverse governing board is a stronger board, reflecting school communities and the wider country. In 2020, over 30% of our volunteers were from BAME backgrounds, and over 65% were under 45, not to mention having different socio-economic backgrounds, and diverse skills, life experiences, and perspectives.
But these stats aren’t representative of most school boards. In 2020, the NGA’s annual governance survey found that 94% of governors and trustees who were surveyed identified as white. Only 1% of respondents identified as Black/ African/Caribbean/Black British, 2% identified as Asian/Asian British, and 1% identified as mixed or being of multiple ethnic groups.
The same survey found that only 1 in 10 governors and trustees were under 40 (11%), and only 2% were under 30. Boards need people of all ages and backgrounds to challenge group think and ensure robust decision making. Younger governors also have a perspective on education older governors simply can’t replicate. While older governors undoubtedly bring valuable skills and experience to the board, they don’t have recent experience of the education system, or know what it’s like to be young now.
We’ve created a quality mark for schools to use to show their commitment to finding skilled and diverse governors through an independent organisation. Displaying the mark is an assurance to all those in the school community that the board values diverse governance.
The survey figures are not reflective of the schools governors serve. The Department for Education’s school data for 2020 shows that in primary schools, 33.9% of pupils are of minority ethnic backgrounds. In secondary schools, 32.3% of pupils are of minority ethnic backgrounds. Of course, these figures will vary in different parts of the country, but the overall picture is one of governing boards failing to represent the communities they serve.
Boards that register vacancies with us have a higher chance of finding a new governor from a diverse background – in terms of both ethnicity and age. However, we understand that for many schools, while finding governors from diverse backgrounds is important, they also have a number of vacancies that need filling. Schools with more than one vacancy risk being left without the skills needed to run effectively.
The quality mark is still a useful tool for schools who find recruiting new governors a challenge. It shows that they understand the need for diverse governance, and have taken steps to address it.
In areas that aren’t very ethnically diverse, finding governors from BAME backgrounds can naturally be more difficult. However, the changes we saw in 2020, specifically the move to virtual governance, has opened up the possibility of having remote governors join boards. Although we expect to see governing boards resume face to face meetings in the next academic year, schools have had to adapt quickly to virtual meetings. This new way of meeting has led to an increase in the number of schools now considering remote governance and inviting those who don’t live locally to join the board. It’s an opportunity for boards to get the perspective and experience they need, and opens up hard-to-reach vacancies to a wider pool of volunteers.
Our webinar panel discussion in September 2020 discussed how to increase diversity on governing boards. The webinar featured a panel of educationalists and governance specialists talking about the steps boards can take to improve their diversity, and a key takeaway was not relying on personal contacts as this often results in recruiting people with similar backgrounds and experiences. By adding the quality mark to their website, schools can demonstrate their commitment to finding governors who can bring the skills, expertise, and diverse perspectives boards need to thrive.
You can read a summary of the information shared, and watch the webinar recording.
Has your school registered vacancies with Governors for Schools? Download the quality mark and show your school’s commitment to skilled and diverse governance.
Are you looking for new governors and want to prioritise finding volunteers who bring some diversity to the board? Register your governor vacancies with us online and we’ll search for a volunteer who best matches your requirements.
The False Flag Flying of ‘No Institutional Racism’
Written by Rachel Clarke
Working with many leaders to improve schools, Rachel is a "passionate, dedicated and inspirational educator, who strives for success with students and educators".
The absence of any acknowledgement of the existence of institutional racism in the UK education system, is a sad indictment of these times. In the context of George Floyd’s trial, the Oprah interview with Harry and Meghan and the glaring difference in response to Sarah Everard’s murder compared to Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman’s, much of the nation has been discussing race and the existence of racism. It felt as if education was slowly waking up to the systemic racism that exists within it. To then hear the outcome of this report, feels as though the conversation is firmly ‘off’ the agenda now.
The meritocratic framing of how well ethnic minorities achieve, makes no reference that where this is true, this is in spite of the racism that exists, not because it doesn’t exist at all. The ‘well if you have families with high aspirations, children will achieve’ sentiment is firstly not comprehensive enough and secondly, echoes the long held belief that it’s the fault of the individual and no responsibility needs to be taken by the institution to ensure all children achieve their potential.
Then we have those who are of Black Caribbean heritage, who appear to have outcomes that start off quite strong (68%) at the end of EYFS, then plummet to 26% at GCSE. The high exclusions are referenced, as is the need for more ‘diversity’ training to be on ITT programmes. However the report fails to unpick the link between individual racism, institutional racism and structural racism that exists that facilitates these statistics. The silence on this is shameful. Yes, wider factors do affect outcomes of children and young people but it is no coincidence that the group whose ethnicity is still framed around negative 17th century hierarchies of race, are the ones being over-represented in negative statistics.
With a workforce of approximately 90% from a White British background, our education system has a duty to ensure that biased views/opinions aren’t given the opportunity to thrive, but are deliberately challenged, so all children achieve their potential. Racism is not just a one off act of violence/aggression but more often, is the drip, drip, drip effect of racial action over time that has to be explored as being central to these poor outcomes.
Despite the report stating that “if there is racial bias within schools or the teaching profession, it has limited effect …”, it is clear that we have to change our approach if we genuinely have a desire to have an education system that meets the needs of all. Now is the time to educate the educators to start the hard work of challenging racism.
The Power of Multiple Perspectives
Written by Paulina Tervo
Co-Founder and Co-CEO at Lyfta; an immersive learning platform for educators.Her background is in documentary filmmaking and web production.
I’m holding a heavy camera in my arms, which are shaking from the sheer weight. It’s 35 degrees; hot, humid and I’m standing in the middle of the biggest slum in Dhaka, Bangladesh, filming a UK A-list celebrity who is crying and talking to the camera. We have just visited several homes in the slum, where we have met young mothers, who are still children themselves, who live in abject poverty and whose children are malnourished. My brief for the day has been to make the A-list celebrity cry in front of the camera, because that’s what will make people donate to the charity that I am doing the work for. I start crying myself, because of the absolutely devastating stories of hopelessness that we are telling, and because I have been told by the local staff that the families we filmed are not beneficiaries of their aid, and therefore will not be helped.
What this narrative was doing was problematic for many reasons. Not least because it reinforced the white saviour narrative, portrayed the poor as a helpless one-dimensional group who are only going to be saved by our charity. It also showed only one side of the story. What we didn’t tell was how the young mother might have been part of a women entrepreneur’s group, saving together to launch a business, or how she is a resilient and resourceful person. We didn’t humanise her, we victimised her, objectified her even.
I felt disgusted and embarrassed for being there. It was the first time I had ever taken an assignment like this, and it was absolutely going to be my last. It was clear to me that what we were doing would not bring about sustainable change. I realised that I wanted to tell stories that were empowering, and even if they had tragedy or difficulties in them, they would humanise and have hope.
A very different story
Fast forward 5 years, I am filming another young mother, this time in Helsinki, Finland. This is where I come from.
Habiba was a child when she came to Finland in the early nineties as a refugee from Somalia. To give you some background, in 2018 over 50% of Somalis in Finland were unemployed, and when it comes to women, that figure was even higher. Many Somali women become nurses or work in other caring professions. When Habiba told me that as a teenager she had been told by a school counsellor that she would be best off becoming a nurse, as that’s what most other Somali women do, she decided that wasn’t going to be her route. Her interest was in citizen activism and politics.
Habiba always knew she wanted her own career while also fulfilling her duty as a mum. By her mid-twenties, she was the proud mother of 7 children when the relationship with her husband broke down. Committed to her aims towards social justice and advocacy for others, she chose to become a city councillor and started to work for her community, to help young people who faced institutional racism which put them at risk of marginalisation. It hasn’t been easy for Habiba to do what she is doing, she faces constant hate speech and racial abuse.
The story we ended up telling about Habiba, like the other stories on the Lyfta platform, is emotionally powerful, yet hopeful, inspiring and empowering. Habiba is an incredibly resilient and positive person, reflective and committed and provides a powerful role model for us all. She makes us see that despite adversities, we can still follow our dreams.
Habiba’s story has now been seen by thousands of children and teachers in the UK and Finland. For many people, she is an incredible role model, and for others, meeting her has given them a window into someone’s life, whom they might otherwise never have met. They would have heard a story that showed them a new perspective.
Habiba’s story is one of many human stories featured in Lyfta’s learning environments called storyworlds. At Lyfta our mission is to share beautiful human stories from around the world to better understand ourselves, each other and our future – as individuals, as communities and as an entire planet.
Storytellers and media outlets have a big responsibility as to how we tell stories, because stories shape our world and shape perspectives and attitudes. So it really matters how they are told. The world is nuanced, complex and beautiful and there are a million ways of telling someone’s story. At Lyfta, we choose to tell stories that humanise people.
What is Lyfta?
Lyfta is an award-winning teaching platform made up of interactive 360° spaces and soundscapes of real homes, workplaces and environments from around the world. Students are invited to explore, unlock rich media content, and get to know real people through powerful and inspiring short films.
The resources are ideal for teaching a range of subjects, skills and values and the UN SDGs. The ready-made lesson and assembly plans cover a range of vital themes such as sustainability, wellbeing, human diversity and compassion, and are ideal for nurturing skills and values such as empathy, resilience, and critical thinking.
Lyfta offers free training and trial access – find out more at www.lyfta.com/training
Journey to the Job
Written by Azuraye Williams
Year 6 Teacher, Science, PE, Diversity and Inclusion Lead.
Initial Thoughts
It can be so hard looking for a new job as a black or brown teacher. Your first thought might be to look at the teaching staff of the school and see if there are any other people of colour working there. With the recent statistics that have been made wide news, you will understand that it can sometimes be quite hard to find such a place.
Once you have searched, you may have a few of the following questions to think about:
- Is the school ‘ready’ to have a black or brown teacher there?
- Am I ready to work somewhere that I will be ‘culturally alone’?
- How will the school deal with anything towards race, identity, racism and culture?
- How will they respond to me if I talk about something I feel uncomfortable with?
- Will the school support my progression or will I just be there to ‘tick a box’?
These questions will be flowing through the minds of people of colour before they even think about if they really want to apply for the job. Sometimes this process alone is enough to talk you out of even applying.
The Process
The next thought is the writing process. You may worry that to even be in with a chance of an interview your letter has to stand out even more – especially if your name is of a cultural background- as the schools may have already shown that it does not openly employ black or brown people.
Then you think about the interview with thoughts such as:
How can I seem as though I can ‘fit in’ to the school, while also wanting to embrace my own true self?
Or,
Will I see someone who looks like me on the interview panel?
What Now
Now although I say this, I am not speaking for all black and brown people or indeed about every interview. I just wanted to speak my own truth to share experiences and conversations I have had with other black and brown educators.
The reason I say this is because although it is important to teach the children about different people and cultures, to truly bring the teaching world alight for people of colour, it starts at the top. Employing people of colour and actually listening to them when they make suggestions or point out something in school rather than just feeling it is ‘the right thing to do’ to tick a box or ‘look good’ from the outside.
It isn’t enough for schools to put a plaque up and a heading on their website to say they are anti-racist if their whole culture and ethos shows the opposite. Employing and learning about other cultures is one thing but truly allowing eyes, hearts and minds to be challenged in their biases and allowing the discomfort this may bring to elicit deeper change is what is really needed in schools.
So many black and brown teachers enter into this system as enthusiastic, knowledgeable and hard working individuals and yet they leave the profession years later being down-trodden, overlooked, misrepresented and sometimes (more often than many would like to say) mistreated.
Remember, this is a whole school approach and it is everyone’s responsibility to develop this across school. Higher leaders and educators have the capacity to make these real changes as without the support and backing from those higher up in the hierarchy, no amount of diversity lessons will make any real difference to the school culture.
Decade of Diversity: a cross-industry coalition of organisations and individuals supporting schools to increase diversity and inclusivity
Written by Temi Akindele Barker
Inclusion Labs offers a custom programme for schools, grounded in research and best practice, but most importantly on the lived experience of students and families, particularly those from underrepresented groups.
During last year’s global BLM protests, I watched as friends and schools scrambled to find more diverse books to share with the children in their care. It struck a chord with me – the realisation that for many like myself this is a daily practice ignited from the moment you know you are bringing a child into this world. As a mother raising two ethnically diverse daughters in a dual heritage home, surrounding my daughters with true representation: female empowerment, ethnically and culturally diverse stories and role models, is a necessity. But I also passionately believe it is just as essential if you are not from an underrepresented group – it is about “windows and mirrors”.
When I think of my children, my hope for them really boils down to wanting them to know they have a place in this world. That they truly belong. That they are seen for who they are. But for that to happen they have to recognise themselves in the world they inhabit. They need to feel represented; they need to see others who look like them in leadership positions. There can’t be a ceiling to their hopes and dreams. And whilst I strive to emphasise this at home, I need the wider world to reemphasise this.
From my work with Inclusion Labs, I am acutely aware that the influence and impact a school have on a young person is profound, whether it is positive or negative. And it endures. From the moment they step into reception until their final day of sixth form, and they carry it with them long after that, shaping their perspective and expectation of the world around them. Ideas and attitudes are formed simply from who and what is placed in front of them on a daily basis. This is why representation of every form is vital.
The Decade of Diversity initiative is about representation. It is a bold and ambitious call to action and a way for schools and organisations to plant a flag in the ground on its importance. It is a visible and vocal commitment to do the work of diversity and inclusion, but significantly it is not an expectation that we do this alone. This commitment is a two-way one: Inclusion Labs and our partners are committing to supporting and guiding schools that are brave enough to plant that flag. We reached out to individuals and organisations of every kind and we all connected on this shared purpose and belief that we all have a part to play in the development of young people. “We were all children once – and we are now the parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts of children” (Kofi Annan) and by virtue of that, we must all be invested in their development. And so, a cross-industry coalition was formed, one to create inspiration and action around the Decade of Diversity pledges: 25% Diverse Literature and Diverse Governing Boards by 2030.
We asked ourselves the questions: “what needs to be done?” and “what part can we play in the answer?” We recognised the work being done by many schools, individuals and organisations and knew we must contribute to making change happen, recognising that together we are more impactful. It is a long-term commitment, a shared vision of a collective journey over the next ten years.
This coalition cannot end with words but must be about actions. And our founding partners’ commitments cover a breadth of support, everything from creating support materials; workshops and training; access to diverse role models; developing programmes; and so on. Each and every partner rallied around this initiative and committed to actions with only two stipulations: 1) they must be about diverse literature or diversifying governing boards, and 2) they must focus on supporting students and/or teachers as well as the overall school community. Crucially, our support will evolve every year in response to what is needed by our signatory schools.
To embed diversity, equity and inclusion into every young person’s educational, cultural and personal development, Inclusion Labs focuses in on our four outcomes:
Learning: what they learn, how they learn and who they are learning from;
Accessibility: having access to a diverse and inclusive community;
Balance: embedding equity – the different elements of any setting in the correct proportions;
Society: preparing them to be active participants in the world, including positive representation and interactions with those from underrepresented groups.
At Inclusion Labs, we believe that every teacher can have a role to play when it comes to leading DEI in their school. For us, the literature pledge is the moment where a school librarian can lead, and we have ensured that our partners can support them and their colleagues. From library management system organisations to independent publishers, booksellers, writer development agencies and authors – we bring them together to inspire, support and guide schools. And of course, we are fundraising to donate diverse literature directly into our signatory schools.
Recently, a student questioned the role of their school governors and why they were invisible to students. As the conversation progressed, many in the group raised the point that their school governors felt far removed from them as individuals. Our governing board pledge partners are all working together with Inclusion Labs to increase the diversity of board leadership in our schools, with outreach campaigns across industries, including alumni and families – after all, parents can do more than bake sales! In addition, we are supporting schools to create the optimum environment in which both pledges can thrive for the long term.
The Decade of Diversity pledges are for our young people. They deserve and need diverse literature and leadership, whether they inhabit a state or independent school, primary or secondary, in the centre of a city or somewhere rural. Our initiative echoes their protest whilst being about ambition and action – “we are tired of talking about this” was a phrase that was aired in many of our focus groups as well as meetings with our founding partners. From these two pledges, we believe much else flows (diverse curriculums, diverse staff, a greater sense of belonging and awareness).
We do not claim to be the silver bullet – the truth is, there is no one answer, and no one way to solve these issues. We have to apply different methods and involve as many as possible to actively work towards breaking down barriers and transforming our world to one that is inclusive for all.
Join our movement for change – let’s turn intent into action!
Find out more about the #DecadeofDiversity pledges and become a signatory school or a partner:
https://inclusionlabs.co.uk/decade-of-diversity/
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#InclusionLabs #DecadeOfDiversity
Is the sketch "Gerald the Gorilla" on "Not the Nine O'clock News” racist?
Written by Ninna Makrinov
Organisational Psychologist with over 20 years' experience in Higher Education. Currently the Chair of Governors at Water Mill Primary School.
Someone I respect, who works in education, recently shared the sketch on a social online meeting as one of the best comedy sketches of all time. My immediate reaction was physical discomfort. It felt totally inappropriate. I strongly believe this material is racist and we need open conversations about why people still find it funny. In this blog, I share the reason for my reaction. My aim is not for you to watch the sketch (although I have added a link below), but to share some points that might help a conversation if you ever find yourself in a similar situation.
About the sketch
Gerald the Gorilla is a short sketch that portrays an interview where a white professor talks about his work on communication with a gorilla. The gorilla is a white man dressed in a gorilla suit. The gorilla acts as a human and acts as more intelligent than the professor acts. The professor dismisses every comment the gorilla makes.
My reaction
I suppose it is useful to know I am white; I was born and grew up in Chile. It is also useful to know that I have been learning about anti-racism for the last 4 years. I should also point out that I share the view that we are all racist because we live in a racist society (if you want to know more about this, explore Critical Race Theory). I am not judging the individual who shared this, but the specific choice to have shared this material. I am quite sure I might have had a different reaction to the sketch had I watched at some other point in my life. I take this as a sign we can all learn to be more sensitive to the lived experience of people of colour.
When I watched Gerald the Gorilla now I reacted with disgust and disbelief. My visceral reaction was so strong that my body ached for an hour after the meeting. Even as I was experiencing this, I doubted myself. Was the material inappropriate or was I being racist for seeing the link between a man dressed as a gorilla and a black man?
My immediate actions
I did not call the sketch out as racist during the meeting. I wish I had. But I did not. Instead, I looked shocked on camera. I also sent a message off meeting to a friend who was also there to gauge if I was overreacting. They did not see anything wrong so I downplayed my reaction and was saved by the bell, as I had to leave for another meeting.
After 1 hour, I was still uncomfortable. So I Googled: Is the sketch “Gerald the Gorilla” on “Not the Nine O’clock News” racist? I did not find a response. I learnt a little bit more about the programme. I also learnt that people seemed to agree it was very funny. This did not sit right with me.
I then contacted two other great friends who are involved in anti-racism. They both thought the content was shocking and inappropriate. I am sorry I did this, as I caused them additional pain. They both have mixed race children. But I am also glad I shared it with them, as their conviction gave me the energy to take the next steps.
Why the sketch is racist
Historically, black people have been compared to (non-human) apes. This has been used as an excuse for slavery and genocide. You can find out more in this great article on the Historical Foundations of Race by the National Museum of African American History and Culture. For a more specific example, read the article “The man who was caged in a zoo” in The Guardian.
Black people are still mocked by being called monkeys. The term ‘monkey chanting’ is defined by the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary as “rude and offensive comments shouted at a black player by white people who are watching a contest, especially a football (soccer) match.”
I am focusing my reaction on racism. As this was the most obvious to me. I also noticed homophobic and misogynist comments. I might have missed others.
Being anti-racist
The day after the incident, I took action. I posted a comment on the meeting chat. I said:
“Dear all, anyone who saw my face on camera during one of the skits shared yesterday will know I was shocked. I will not explain further here. However, if you want to know more about what I felt, or just drop me a line or call. I did not raise yesterday as I did not feel comfortable about it, but I have been reflecting since and cannot leave this unsaid.
Also, if anyone else felt there was something inappropriate and would like an ally, an informal chat or even a confidential one, please let me know.“
This has sparked conversations. At various levels. Mostly very personal. I am glad that I felt safe to share. I also wonder if others, particularly people of colour, felt othered or directly offended; I imagine they might also have felt that they could not speak up. I hope the conversations keep going. I still have questions: What conversations do we need? How can we understand the lived experience of others? How can we be allies?
Moving forward – how can we prevent this happening (again)?
To finalise, my top ideas on what we can do to prevent situations like this:
- Make a point of meeting and understanding people who are not like you, whatever ‘what you’ means to you. I have learnt a lot about how judgemental I could be through my friends. Those who don’t have the same level of education, who come from different places, who look different, who disagree with my views.
- Organise conversations about race. For me, participating in the anti-racist pedagogies forum at the University of Warwick has been life changing. I have since also organised an anti-racist book club with my (white) friends. I am thinking of an anti-racist film club at work, it feels more relaxing. For those who work in Further or Higher Education, this Box of Broadcast curated list on Law, Race and Decolonisation by Dr Foluke Adebisi is a great starting point.
- Ensure your organisation’s diversity policy is clear on behavioural expectations, available support and formal procedures for complaints.
- Let people know that you support anti–racism.
- Be an active bystander, I took the step a little later than I would have wanted. I hope next time I will speak on the spot. Think back to occasions where you have acted, what happened? When you did not, what could you to when you experience something similar again?
I thought this video proves my point. You can see a family’s reaction while watching the original sketch. Spoiler alert: they were not shocked. Please beware that the contents might be sensitive (it angered me so much I wrote this blog).