Teachers and other school staff should receive regular mandatory antiracism training to combat racism and racial inequality in education, a heads’ union leader has said today.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT school leaders’ union, has called for the introduction of mandatory training under the government’s Keeping Children Safe in Education requirement, as schools prepare activities focusing on Black History Month, which kicks off today.
Mr Whiteman said the training should go further than simply recognising racism’s existence to empowering teachers to facilitate racial equality.
“We know that racism and racial inequality continues to exist within the education sector, as it does across society,” he said.
“That’s why NAHT is calling for a centralised antiracist approach to education, underpinned by regular, mandatory antiracism training for all staff.
“Antiracism requires action to change and create policies, practices, and procedures to promote racial equity and we need everyone who works in schools to be empowered to do this in order to bring about true change.”
Mr Whiteman called on the new Department for Education ministerial team, under education secretary Kit Malthouse, to “take a fresh look” at how it approaches the issue.
“We now have a new team at the DfE, including a new secretary of state, which offers an opportunity for the department to renew its commitment to diversity and inclusion, listen to the education profession, and to take a fresh look at the training that takes place in schools.”
Earlier this week, NAHT joined 14 other education organisations, including the Confederation of Schools Trusts and the Chartered College of Teaching, in calling on the DfE to improve diversity and inclusion to improve teacher recruitment and retention.
