SQA promotes anti-racism by changing language used in courses
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SQA promotes anti-racism by changing language used in courses
The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) has announced changes to the language used in its geography, history and classical studies courses as part of its work to promote anti-racism through education.
The changes - which apply to National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher courses - are a response to concerns raised by learners and teachers about language that reflects outdated views of enslavement, colonialism and race.
The SQA is also calling on schools to stop using history textbooks that “contain outdated language and depictions of enslavement and colonialism”.
Changing language to help stop racism
It says that history books previously endorsed by the SQA - some of which date back to 2013 - are still being used in some schools. However, the SQA no longer endorses these or any other textbooks; it says they must not be used in classrooms and libraries.
Examples of the changes that the SQA has made include:
- The terms “enslaved person” or “enslaved African” replace “slave”, while “enslaved Africans’ fight for freedom” replaces “slave rebellion”.
- The “impact of individual Scots on their new countries” replaces “contribution of individual Scots to their new countries”.
- The term “informal housing’ or “informal housing settlement’ replaces “shanty town”.
- “Indigenous Americans” replaces “Native American tribes”.
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The modifications form part of Scotland’s wider Anti-Racism in Education Programme (AREP) and mark the first steps towards embedding anti-racism and decolonising the curriculum, says the SQA.
The changes were announced as the first minister John Swinney hosted an online Anti-Racism in Education summit where he spoke of the value of leadership in supporting anti-racism practices in schools. He said anti-racism was “everybody’s job” but that senior leaders had “a particular duty to set standards and to create cultures within school communities that are truly anti-racist”.
The education youth ambassadors at Intercultural Youth Scotland, a charity for young Black people and young people of colour, welcomed the changes, saying they had raised concerns along with “many other young people of colour”.
“We look forward to further developments that take a deeper look at the exams and embed anti-racism across all subjects within the Scottish curriculum,” they added.
‘Modern understanding of historical events’
John Booth, the SQA’s communications director, said: “Education has a critical role to play in tackling racism and promoting an anti-racist culture in our society.
“Attitudes and beliefs are shaped in part by what is taught in schools and therefore it is essential that we do everything we can to ensure that our assessments and qualifications promote a clear, positive message that reflects modern understanding of historical events.”
Mr Booth said that, as the SQA prepares to change into the new body Qualifications Scotland in the autumn, “we look forward to playing our part alongside learners, educators and many others to promote anti-racist education”.
The changes have been made to subject course specification documents that are available on the SQA website.
In 2021 the SQA removed controversial references to “positive” effects of climate change from geography course notes.
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