The premise of this Blog is to understand the systemic inequalities that exists in our society, and consequently exist in every system in the UK including our schools.
The aim is to provide Human Lived experiences that allow us to consider the challenges faced by many in our society and understand what that means in our classrooms with the children we serve.
This new regular Blog seeks to support teachers in identifying what they can do in their own classrooms to challenge systemic disadvantage and ensure powerful change for the children we serve.
The National Picture
There are many statistics that we must consider when exploring the lived experiences of ethnically diverse people in the UK. The statistics below indicate some of the challenges faced by ethnically diverse communities we serve and provide evidence of institutional racism.
April 2017-March 2020 the percentage of people living in households with persistent low income after housing costs were:
- 19% White British Households
- 40% Black Households
- 37% Asian Households
- 55% Bangladeshi accounting for the highest percentage
December 2020 data indicated that in 2018-2019 the percentage of first year entrants on undergraduate degrees were:
- 11.5% Asian
- 7.9% Black
- 4.2% Mixed Heritage
- 74.7% White
The data released by Ethnicity Facts and Figures in September 2020 highlighted the arrest rate per 1000 by ethnicity:
- 10 in 1000 arrest were White
- 32 in 1000 were Black
- 64 in 1000 were Black other
- 14 in 1000 were Bangladeshi
The data released by Ethnicity Facts and Figures in March 2021 highlighted the number of detentions under the Mental Health Acts by ethnicity in 2019-2020 were:
- 0.07% White
- 0.10% Asian
- 0.21% Mixed Heritage
- 0.32% Black
In 2018 the percentage of the economically active population who were unemployed were:
- 4% White British
- 6% Mixed Heritage
- 8% Pakistani/Bangladeshi
- 8% Black
This data needs to be compared to the ethnic make up of the UK population to make sense of the overrepresentation of ethnically diverse groups in these statistics and what that means.
In April 2018, the ethnicity Facts and Figures data highlighted that:
- 86% of the UK population were White
- 7.5% Asian
- 3.3% Black
- 2.2% Mixed Heritage
- 1.0% Other ethnic groups
Looking at the data we need to ask how is it that the Black community only make up 3.3% of the UK population and yet make up 40% of households on low income. The data sets highlight the very real systemic challenges across the UK from Housing, Mental Health systems, Unemployment, Policing, The criminal Justice System, Education, Prison system and beyond.
The data shows that whilst ethnically diverse communities represent a small part of the UK society, they are overrepresented in the areas of deprivation
Systemic Racism
To describe systemic racism and the prominent place it has in every system in the UK, it is important that we define race. Race was a scheme that was racially categorised and invented by scientists, to support white, Eurocentric views that some groups of people are superior, and some are inferior. Race is a social construct that was developed by scientist. It is NOT an actual biological fact.
With this in mind, systemic racism is the normalisation and legitimisation of a myriad of dynamics-historical, cultural, institutional, and interpersonal that routinely advantage those who are viewed as white whilst producing chronic adverse outcomes for ethnically diverse people. Power is integral within this system and it primary function has been to maintain the power structures that allow White Eurocentric to thrive and constrain others.
There are a number of systemic disadvantages that ethnically diverse children face in the UK education system, in our schools and settings. Our schools are an important part of society and therefore reflect society. We must face the facts that our children experience systemic racism in our schools if we are to effect the profound change that is needed across every level and across every system. As we explore the systems and power structures, we can challenge in our won classrooms we will identify steps that we know will work in our individual schools
In the next blog we will focus on what it means to be a non-racist educator and how it differs to an anti-racist educator. So, until next time here is some food for thought.
The non-racist teacher
- The non-racist teacher is afraid of discomfort
- May feel a sense of panic when the word racism is used
- May overreact and be defensive if it is used- particularly with reference to themselves
- Being afraid of discomfort often means never challenging, never choosing to have uncomfortable conversations, and always silently witnessing or participating rather than asking or seeking to find a solution
- Being afraid of discomfort is disabling and stops progression. We need to be comfortable with uncomfortable conversations to drive change if we are going to achieve equality for all
The anti-Racist teacher.
- The anti-racist teacher is an active role model.
- Embrace discomfort
- Speaks up to challenge inequality
- Teach how to fight for justice
- Uses every opportunity to fight justice not just teach it
- Is an Ally/Accomplice
- Is very aware of their own biases
- Work to challenge their biases and the biases of colleague and management
- Works as part of a team as well as independently to identify those systems and ways that they can work to dismantle them
- The teacher is part of the solution
Consider the ways in which you have been an Ally/Accomplice in the classroom
- What did you do?
- What did you say?
- Is there anything you could have done differently looking back?
- Are there situations that have happened where you would have wanted to be an Ally/Accomplice but found it too challenging?