By Kenny Frederick – September 2024
As schools return this month, I know there will be a lot of work going on to find the best way of talking about what has gone on, why it happened and what the stance of the school will be going forward. There has been a lot of advice, helpful lesson plans and PowerPoints shared on Twitter/X and other platforms to help teachers in that task.
Whatever approach your school decides upon, please know that the worst thing to do is to ignore it – hope it will go away and don’t discuss it in school. As educators our job is to educate children and to make sure we can have open and honest conversations with them, to help them make sense of what has gone on. No matter what the age group or ethnic and racial or social make up of your school, addressing the issue needs to be front and centre of your curriculum and ethos.
As a headteacher on the Isle of Dogs for 17 years I know exactly what it feels like to work in this context. I took over from a headteacher who decided the best way forward was to brush it (racism) under the carpet and not discuss it. Pupils were warned about using racist language, but little was done to make them understand why this was important. Our work on anti-racism and inclusion in general was groundbreaking, as we tried many often-risky policies and actions to bring the school together. The terrorist attack on the Twin Towers in New York (9/11) presented particular problems, as did the terrorist attack in London on 7th July 2005, bringing additional challenges in a school and community that could polarise at any point. However, these terrible incidents made us work closely as a whole school team and, most importantly, made us work closely with the pupils to find solutions. There were no easy answers and the work was ongoing. The lesson is that the job is never done. Anti-racism is never done. It manifests itself in many ways and is insidious. As educators we need to be vigilant and keep it on the agenda. In my experience where a community holds racist views, they also present sexist, homophobic, and other discriminatory views, and none of these can be neglected.
As a Chair of Governors in two schools and through my work with IQM, I am very much involved in working with schools and I know the superb work many schools are doing in this area. The DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) agenda is growing and there is a lot going on out there – particularly in the IQM family of schools. If your school is not involved, then this is the time to reach out and seek support from others working in this area. People are very glad to support.
I have attached a News Report from the Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/education/2001/nov/20/raceineducation.schools) that gives some flavour of our experience and our response. The recent riots are not new and sadly we will see more of them. It’s time to act now and not wait until they happen. Make sure pupils are fully involved in discussions and actions taken, and make sure the issue does not fall off the agenda.
Inclusion is for life and is never done.