Promoting Race Equality: a Whole School Approach Glasgow Monday 29 th November 2010

Aims To emphasise the need for a whole school approach to race equality. To encourage reflection on current teaching approaches To provide starting points to begin embedding equality in the curriculum

Her Majesties' Inspectorate for Education Action Plan 2010: promoting equality of opportunity promoting good relations between different racial groups Every school inspection includes: •evaluation of the quality of the school’s provision to promote and ensure equality and fairness; •the publication of a written report on the quality of the school’s provision including information on how effective the school has been in promoting and ensuring equality and fairness.

“I Know a Culture” ACTIVITY

BizarreDelightful InterestingDisturbing ExoticNormal DisgustingAmusing Boring Choose an adjective from the list below to describe how you feel about the statement:

When we are not fully informed about something it can seem frightening and different The more we find out about difference the easier it is to understand. As educators we have to be careful when discussing difference that we don’t just focus on the exotic or the curious and that we use accessible language and don’t reinforce fear and stereotypes.

Embedding Equality ACTIVITY

‘At this time [about 1750] not many people thought there was anything wrong with slavery.’ ‘I am angry with this, because the author is forgetting the slaves were people too. They didn’t want to be slaves for the rest of their lives. He did not even stop to think what he’s writing about. I think he’s cruel. He may not think there was anything wrong with slavery because it was not him who had to be a slave. If he was split away from his family he would not like that. That is exactly what happened to the slaves. He should be ashamed of himself writing this.’ – From an essay by a Year 9 student at a London school,

Undertake a Diversity Walk through the school.

Promoting the positive? What about challenging the negative?

Be aware how current affairs are impacting on the young people.

Have you ever got near them? They must really stink! According to the statistics, they only take a bath once a fortnight. They can’t make money, they have no jobs at home, so they come over here to mess up our economy and take our jobs. And why is there so much unemployment in their own country? Because they’re a lazy lot, who don’t want to work. Well let them be warned, they won’t be allowed to live on social security here. The Sydney Star1981

Many refugees are arriving in this country, and in the majority of cases are being turned back...once it was known that Britain offered sanctuary to all who cared to come, the floodgates would be opened and we should be inundated by thousands seeking a home...our own professions are already overcrowded and have been further strained by arrivals in the last few years from Central Europe. Daily Mail1938

Challenging stereotypes Developing critical thinking. Myth busting- sharing the facts! Humanise the ‘dehumanised’ Develop empathy Ask yourself...” What message am I giving the young people in my class?”

Head teacher Pupils Class Teachers Senior Management Parents and Carers Classroom Assistants Governors Lunchtime Supervisors Who needs to be involved?