Racism in the UK Education System

England strives for its diversity, and with this, you would expect schools to actively promote and encourage equality and acceptance. However, upon closer inspection, it is clear that racism is an unsettling reality taking place within the very institution meant for learning and growth. This blog sets to shed light on current issues surrounding racism in UK schools and highlight the various activism and campaigns in place to tackle this issue.

The most damaging type of racism in schools is ‘micro-aggression’. This can be covert, or even unintentional; they may not have the intent to harm, but the effects are still detrimental.

How things are for students:

As of March 2021, it was revealed by the Guardian that the exclusion rates in schools were five times higher for Black Caribbean pupils in some parts of the UK. Whilst this statistic is already worryingly high, it is important to incorporate intersectionality. Intersectionality is the acknowledgment that everyone has their own experiences of oppression and discrimination, and aspects such as gender, race, disability and sexual orientation can marginalize someone. An example of this can be seen in the exclusion rates for girls growing faster than that of the boys, with black Caribbean girls twice as likely to be excluded as White girls.

To further highlight the level of racism experienced by pupils, the BBC reported that Black pupils are three times more likely to be excluded from schools, including beyond Black Caribbean students.

A recent report by YMCA’s Young and Black showed that 95% of young Black British people have witnessed racist language in education, with 51% of Black boys revealing that they hear racist language ‘all the time’.

Therefore, there is visible evidence that despite UK schools priding themselves on combatting and tacking racism, figures from recent reports targeting students suggest that there is still a lot of progress to be made.

How things are for staff:

Unfortunately, these statistics do not end here. The staff population within schools also finds themselves struggling with racism. Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic staff are still disproportionately reflected in senior roles as senior leadership is still typically White.

DFE data from 2016 disclosed that 27% of pupils in state-funded schools are from BAME (Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic groups) background. However, the BAME teacher population makes up only 13% of the staff within schools. Among these members of staff, many Black teachers have been victimized due to the colour of their skin, with some even being forced out of their positions due to institutional racism.

To further on this, only 46%, (less than half!), of UK schools do not have a teacher from an ethnic minority background. These figures, however, do not only affect the staff directly. Due to the fact that only 6% of headmasters are from ethnic minority backgrounds, there is a risk that pupils from ethnic backgrounds will perceive themselves as less suited to leadership roles.

Activism and campaigns:

Show Racism the Red Card:

Works in educational settings, workplaces and sports clubs throughout the UK to offer a whole range of educational training, workshops, resources, and activities, designed to educate young people and adults about the causes and consequences of racism.

You can book specific appointments at your institution, where trained professionals can work with these individuals to promote a united and equal learning space.

Every year, Show Racism the Red Card works with more than 50,000 young people in schools across the UK. These workshops aim to educate young people about how to recognise racism, consider the impact that racism has, empower young people to challenge racism in the communities in which they live, and help young people prepare to play an active role as citizens in an increasingly multi-cultural society.

School Wellbeing:

Is an online platform that offers an array of resources for both Primary and Secondary education. These resources cover how to keep safe and manage the risk of racism, learning how people are the same, despite cultural differences, human rights and equality, and human rights and hate crime.

These resources are free and should be shared within schools in order to promote the changes that need to be made!

With activism comes support; with support comes equality!

Conclusion:

In summary, this blog set out to highlight the prevalent issues of racism in UK schools. Despite England’s commitment to diversity, statistics reveal high exclusion rates for Black students and concerning lack of representation for BAME staff in senior roles.

By promoting awareness and education, we can strive for inclusive educational environments where everyone is valued. Whilst this journey towards eradicating racism is ongoing, sustained commitment and action can bring about positive change for a truly equal society.

Bibliography:

1. Anti-racism resources (no date) School Wellbeing. Available at: https://www.schoolwellbeing.co.uk/pages/anti-racism-resources (Accessed: 25 February 2024).

2. School Workshops (2023) Show Racism the Red Card. Available at: https://www.theredcard.org/training-and-workshops/school-workshops/ (Accessed: 25 February 2024).

3. Study: Almost all black British children have experienced racism at school (no date) World Economic Forum. Available at: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/11/racism-united-kingdom-schools-black-children-inequality/ (Accessed: 25 February 2024).

4. Tackling racism and discrimination in schools (no date) Tackling Racism & Discrimination in Schools. Available at: https://www.learninghive.co.uk/blog/tackling-racism-and-discrimination-in-schools#:~:text=to%20eradicate%20racism.-,Racism%20in%20schools,in%20some%20parts%20of%20England. (Accessed: 25 February 2024).

5. We need to talk about racism in the UK education system (no date) We need to talk about racism in the UK education system | Teach First. Available at: https://www.teachfirst.org.uk/blog/racism-uk-schools (Accessed: 25 February 2024).

By Kyren