A report on institutional racism in the UK says pupils should be taught about how “Britishness influenced the Commonwealth and local communities” in response to “negative calls for ‘decolonising’ the curriculum”.

Headteachers have said the report, which concludes that Britain is no longer a country where the “system is deliberately rigged against ethnic minorities”, “will be seen by many as an insult”.

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Racism: ‘Use the school curriculum to tackle racism’

The government’s Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities said a “Making of Modern Britain” teaching resource should be created in response to calls to decolonise schooling, adding: “Neither the banning of white authors or token expressions of black achievement will help to broaden young minds”.

“We have argued against bringing down statues. Instead we want all children to reclaim their British heritage,” it says.

“We want to create a teaching resource that looks at the influence of the UK, particularly during the empire period. We want to see how Britishness influenced the Commonwealth and local communities, and how the Commonwealth and local communities influenced what we now know as modern Britain.”

Schools helping to tackle racism

The report, chaired by education consultant Tony Sewell, which was set up in response to Black Lives Matter anti-racism protests last summer, adds that “there is a new story about the Caribbean experience which speaks to the slave period not only being about profit and suffering but how culturally African people transformed themselves into a re-modelled African/Britain.”

Headteachers have said they are “deeply disappointed” with the report’s findings and say these show there is still “a huge amount of work to do” when it comes to tackling racism in the UK.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union the NAHT, said: “NAHT has already heard from many members that they are deeply disappointed by this report.

“Those members have told us that they feel let down, and that it does not accurately reflect their experiences. We have already seen from the reaction so far that the report simply does not reflect the reality of so many people’s lived experiences. To many, the findings will come as an insult,” he added.

“It is clear that there remains a huge amount of work to do when it comes to tackling issues surrounding racism and race equality in the UK.

“Schools are rightly proud of the work they are already doing in this field and progress has certainly been made, but we know that they are far from complacent. Schools and school leaders remain determined to do all they can to tackle all forms of inequality.  Education remains one of the best tools we have to tackle the scourge of racism and inequality in this country, but this must be set alongside a wider societal approach.”

The report says British history is not solely “one of imperial imposition” and adds that national history “has episodes of both shame and pride”.

Quoting the Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, it says: “Stories matter. Many stories matter. Stories have been used to dispossess and to malign, but stories can also be used to empower and humanise. Stories can break the dignity of a people, but stories can also repair that broken dignity.”

The report says the Department for Education should work with an “appointed panel of independent experts” to produce a “well-sequenced set of teaching resources to tell the multiple, nuanced stories that have shaped the country we live in today”.

It goes on to recommend a dictionary or lexicon of “well-known British words which are Indian in origin”.

And it says there should be an extended school day prioritising disadvantaged areas, to give pupils the opportunity to “engage in physical and cultural activities that enrich lives and build social and cultural capital”.

It adds that the causes for ethnic disparities in the rates of exclusions and suspensions are “complex and multifaceted, and cannot be reduced to structural racism and individual teacher bias”.

And it describes how the report’s authors “were impressed by the ‘immigrant optimism’ of some of the new African communities”.

“They are among the new high achievers in our education system. As their Caribbean peers sit in the same classrooms, it is difficult to blame racism in education for the latter’s underachievement,” it adds.

Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the NEU teachers’ union, said: “We do not need more reports like this. The evidence about racial disparities and race discrimination in employment exists from other inquiries and is well documented.

“The Windrush Review recommendations must be taken seriously by the government. We have already got comprehensive data showing the barriers for black children and the need for a more inclusive school curriculum and better progression through the workforce.

“Many schools themselves are already showing the lead on this and decolonising their curriculum, but today’s report misses the point that schools are doing this in the absence of support and despite the government.  

“We are witnessing a huge push forward with schools doing innovative planning around their curriculum because schools want the positive contribution and achievements of black communities recognised and represented. It is urgent that all black students can access a positive, engaging and representative curriculum in their school or college.”

And Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “We hope that the government takes notice of the fact that this report’s recommendations on education call for additional funding to be made available.

“We fully agree with targeting extra investment at early years, the transition between primary to secondary school, family hubs and careers provision. We have been saying similar things ourselves for years. This investment is needed both to improve equity and social justice in the education system, and to ensure that all children and young people receive the education to which they are entitled.”

Teacher and writer Lola Okolosie questioned the report’s findings that “race and racism are not important factors in the UK.....when black Caribbean boys get excluded at five times the rate of their peers”.

Race and racism not important factors in U.K. life says this government’s report.

It says education has transformed society and yet black Caribbean boys get excluded at five times the rate of their peers.

- Lola Okolosie (@LolaOkolosie) March 31, 2021