Scotland’s former first minister has sought reassurance that Scottish children are being taught about the country’s role in the forceable transportation of millions of slaves during the time of the British Empire - warning that “if we do not know our history then we are undoubtedly doomed to repeat it”.
Today in the Scottish Parliament - as the UK marks Black History Month - Humza Yousaf said: “Scotland regrettably played a leading role in the British empire, an empire that saw 3.1 million slaves forcibly transported from Africa to British colonies.”
He said that some of the wealthiest slave owners were Scottish, as were some of the leading abolitionists, and asked for an update on efforts to ensure pupils today are “taught Scotland’s history in relation to the British Empire”.
Education secretary Jenny Gilruth replied that it was important the curriculum provided “a range of opportunities to teach about the British Empire, including Scotland’s role in that”.
She said the government was funding programmes of professional learning in relation to teaching slavery, and also immigration and empire.
Earlier, she highlighted that the government’s Anti-Racism in Education Programme was “a key commitment”.
The programme was established in 2021 to bring together all the separate pieces of work already underway to tackle racism in Scottish education.
One key goal is to diversify the teaching profession.
However, the chair of the programme, Professor Khadija Mohammed, told a conference last year that “schools are institutionally racist”.
Professor Mohammed, who started her career as a primary teacher and was also the first Black or minority ethnic (BME) convener of the General Teaching Council for Scotland, said: “The elephant in the staffroom that no one is talking about is the racism a teacher experiences from another teacher.”
She said that positive action and sponsorship were needed to support BME staff.
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