Promoting equality

‘Race’ and education

Links to pre-session tasks

How does your school approach diversity?

What experience have you had of equality issues in your school?

Promoting equality in the classroomChallenging stereotypesPromoting education as an agent of

social justice / social change

Discussion points.

1. What do you understand by ‘race’?

2. What do you understand by diversity?

3. What do you understand by inclusion?

Trainee Teachers ‘Race’, inclusion and diversity - University of Southampton

‘Race’ was defined in terms of

Ethnicity (57%)• ‘Ethnic background of a person’

Origins (28%)• ‘where your ancestors come from’

Culture (18%)• ‘cultural heritage or background’

Inclusion was defined in terms of

Include (46%)• ‘including all whatever the differences are.’

Accessible (45%)• ‘Ensuring that all have access to an education regardless

of SEN, race ,gender, ethnicity and sexuality’

Equality(28%) ‘Equal opportunity regardless of

background-together’

Not exclude (20%)• ‘process and practice to ensure that people are not

unjustly excluded from any aspect of education’

Diversity was defined in terms of

Difference (52%)‘the differences between groups, individual or

cultures that make them unique’

Variety (45%)‘the variety of individuals in the school (race, ability,

SEN etc).’

Ethnicity (32%)‘the range of races or ethnicities within a specific

group’

Relevance and importance

In the University of Southampton study, trainee teachers were asked how important they feel it is to learn about ‘race’, inclusion and diversity in relation to other aspects of learning to be a teacher.

Very important (47%)Important (35%)Quite important (18%)

Promoting Cohesion, Challenging Expectations -Educating the teachers of tomorrow for race equality and diversity in 21st century schools – research report from MMU

“Newly qualified teachers tend to feel relatively ill-prepared to engage with pupils of BME (Black and Minority Ethnic) heritage or to respond to potentially challenging issues related to race equality in schools.”

School attainment for BME students

A picture of “marked inequality” (Gillborne and Mirza)

pupils of African-Caribbean, Pakistani and Bangladeshi heritage are markedly less likely to attain 5 higher grade GCSEs than their White and Indian peers nationally

Pupils of African-Caribbean heritage and Pakistani heritage have drawn the least benefit from the rising levels of attainment: the gap between them and their white peers had grown over a decade

African-Caribbean heritage pupils’ position worsened (often significantly) as they went through school, compared to their white peers.

“There is more inequality in attainment between ethnic groups after their time in compulsory education than there is at entry to school”. Bhattacharyya ,Ison and Blair - 2003

Black Caribbean pupils are about 3 times more likely than white pupils to be permanently excluded from school, and there are proportionately more Black Caribbean and Black Other pupils in PRUs

“Qualitative research (in primary and secondary schools) has consistently highlighted ways in which Black pupils are stereotyped and face additional barriers to academic success”

o Explanations through suggestions that Black pupils are more likely to become alienated from school are not borne out by research, which suggests that the opposite is true. And that this is a stereotype

The data does not support the idea that speaking another language of itself is a barrier to achievement in school

Bilingual learners are in the highest-scoring groups (Indian and Chinese heritage)

Bilingual learners tend to advance more quickly than monolingual peers

Diversity scenarios

In groups of 3 or 4, choose two diversity scenarios for discussion

Feedback

Diversity scenario 1 (University of Southampton, 2009)

“Inclusion is including all children in a school environment and giving them all an opportunity to learn though that may not be that they all learn the same thing at the same pace, but that they all have an opportunity to access learning. And that the school acknowledges diversity of all sorts of gender, ethnicity and culture.” (White British Female)

How important is inclusion to you as a trainee teacher?

In what ways as a trainee teacher can you ensure that you acknowledge ‘all sorts of gender, ethnicity and culture?’

Diversity scenario 2 (University of Southampton, 2009)

“With inclusion I think it is really important but I’m a bit scared of it based on something the tutor actually said the other day. He said: ‘Be careful when you are teaching in your classes that you don’t inadvertently create stereotypes’. For example if you’ve got a classroom full of kids and you’ve got one Black kid in your class and you are covering a book which has some other cultures and traditions poetry maybe, and you start talking about Black slavery you may inadvertently make that kid the post boy for Black slavery in your class and he doesn’t necessarily have any connection to that. In his mind he doesn’t see himself as anything to do with Black slavery, he sees himself as British. I am scared of that. I don’t know how to be inclusive.” (White British female)

In what ways could you address the issues raised for this trainee teacher? How would you advise and support her? How can you ensure that you do not validate, create or support stereotypes in your practice?

Diversity scenario 3 (Multiverse Resources)

I have overheard some overtly racist comments made by children to their peers, particularly when they are outside at playtime. I have spoken to the class teacher about it and she has advised me that as long as they don't do it in the classroom it is best to ignore it as ' they don't mean anything by it'. Is this is right approach?

Why is it important to address this issue? In what ways is it important for all the pupils involved? How can the school develop an anti-racist ethos?

Diversity scenario 4 (Multiverse Resources)

A Muslim pupil told an Asian trainee on placement that she was being teased by other pupils. "Is your Dad a Taliban? We're killing loads of your lot in Afghanistan. It's revenge for the London bombings." The trainee asked if she had told her class teacher. The girl said she had and the teacher had said "Never mind, it's not serious. It will pass. You have to expect a bit of teasing.“

How would you advise this trainee teacher? Why is it important to take up these issues? How can the school become an environment which rejects Islamophobic comments of this nature?

Diversity scenario 5 (University of Southampton, 2009)

I think anyone’s identity is quite important as a teacher you are in the spotlight all day long at the front of the class and you’ve got to be quite comfortable with your identity and I think that’s easier if you are White because it is going to be less of an issue… I think I will be treated in a way that is normally considered the norm. Whereas I think if I was Asian or Black I would be worried that I would be treated in a different way.

What are your thoughts on this trainee teacher’s view that if you are White being comfortable with your identity is less of an issue?

Why do you think this trainee teacher feels that people of Black or Asian descent would be worried that they would be treated differently?

ConclusionsThis session has been designed to provide

opportunities for you to discuss issues relating to ‘race’ inclusion and diversity.

This is intended to help prepare for the ILA assignment.

It is intended as an introduction to further reading

Please feel free to contact us for further guidance – p.ariza@mmu.ac.uk

ILA High achievers low achievers; pupils with cognition and learning / communication

barriers to learning i.e. dyslexia or poor literacy skills. Bi-lingual pupils; or pupils with EAL. Pupils from a minority social, ethnic, or cultural background, i.e.

minority ethnic pupils. Socially disadvantaged pupils pupils who have emotional and social barriers to learning. Pupils with a physical disability; Pupils with sensory barriers to learning; interaction barriers to learning i.e. an autistic spectrum disorder; Pupils with an attention deficit disorder; or with challenging behaviour. Girls and Boys.