In recent days, we have seen misinformation spread through social media - fuelling and empowering those with far-right, racist ideologies to become more vocal than ever.
We would be naive to think that these incidents play out in isolation or that children and young people are removed from what is happening around them. Indeed, the many children seen amid the riots and looting should alarm those educators who will see them back in the classroom soon.
We would also be naive to think these events have come from nowhere, or attribute them squarely to things like the cost-of-living crisis or Brexit. Many of us have, for decades, been trying to educate society about the racist impact of colonialism and the reality of institutional racism.
These, then, are key questions for teachers and schools: Are you ready to continue to tackle racism head on? Are you willing to continue to embrace any discomfort, and honestly reflect on your practice and your responsibility for upholding the values of social justice? If so, here is what you can do next:
1. Establish clear policies and guidelines
If they don’t already exist at your school, create comprehensive anti-racism policies that explicitly define unacceptable behaviours and outline the consequences of racist actions. Ensure racist incidents, including micro-aggressions, are recorded. Remind staff that recording will not mean that you have a racist school, but that you take the issue seriously.
Ensure that these policies are communicated clearly to pupils, staff and parents. Include them in student handbooks, staff training materials, school websites and parent council meetings.
2. Training and professional development
Provide regular training for teaching staff on recognising and addressing racist attitudes and behaviours.
Building a racially literate staff is vital, including leaders, teachers, support staff and admin colleagues. This will entail understanding the difference between bullying and racism, as well as exploring our colonial history and the legacy of colonial ideology.
Organise workshops and seminars for pupils on racism’s impact and the importance of diversity and inclusion.
3. Curriculum integration
This means reviewing your curriculum and resources. Ask yourself: why do we teach certain topics and texts? Whose perspective is centred and whose is missing? Are you upholding negative stereotypes, because “we’ve always done it that way”?
Decolonising curricula requires critical thinkers. For learners, it is crucial that they are presented with a variety of narratives and encouraged to ask questions, engage in debate and build skills in media literacy and fact-finding so they can recognise and challenge racist propaganda and misinformation.
4. Encourage student leadership and involvement
Give priority to learner-led pupil committees that focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. Encourage students to take an active role in promoting anti-racist initiatives.
5. Monitor and evaluate progress
Carry out regular assessments to evaluate the effectiveness of anti-racism initiatives. Regularly seeking feedback from staff, pupils and parents ensures positive relationships can be built and maintained, with everyone feeling part of the process. Use this continuous feedback to make necessary adjustments and improvements.
Many of the actions above do not require hours of extra work or space in the timetable. Most of all, it demands a shift in how we think about what we teach and how we teach it. This will also not be achieved overnight - but an acceptance that things need to continue to improve is the first, crucial step we all must take.
Nuzhat Uthmani is a primary teacher, a lecturer at the University of Stirling and a board member of the Scottish Government Anti-racism in Education Programme. For more help or professional learning for your team, she can be contacted via gceducationscot@gmail.com
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