Combating Racism

>Education, Racism and Achievement

>Expectations of pupils

>The organisation of EAL teaching

>Combating disadvantage in the classroom and curriculum

All student teachers will need to gain an understanding of the impact of racism on educational achievement and how to begin to address and promote racial equality through developing positive attitudes and an inclusive classroom ethos, and through the use of teaching strategies and materials that reflect the cultural, linguistic and ethnic diversity of the classroom and society.

Many ITE providers address this issue through dedicated sessions and there are many websites that provide very full resources for initial teacher educators.  These include the TTA sponsored .Multiverse website (www.multiverse.ac.uk) or Initial Teacher Training Professional Resource Network (IPRN). This site provides teacher educators, student teachers and trainees with a range of resources that focus on combating racism and enhancing the educational achievement of pupils from diverse backgrounds. A further excellent resource is the Educating for Race Equality- A Toolkit for Scottish teachers website which can be found at www.antiracisttoolkit.org.uk.  Rather than replicate these resources, this section explores in more detail the issues specific to the relationship between racism and the learning and teaching of EAL. Initial teacher educators may find it useful to examine aspects of this within their own dedicated sessions on race equality.

In this section we discuss the ways in which institutional racism may influence the delivery of services to children learning EAL in schools.We take as a reference point the definition of institutional racism employed by the Macpherson Committee. They argued that it is best thought of as the collective failure of an organisation to provide an appropriate and professional service to people because of their colour, culture or ethnic origin. It can be seen or detected in processes, attitudes and behaviour which amount to discrimination through unwitting prejudice, ignorance, thoughtlessness, and racist stereotyping which disadvantage minority ethnic people. (Macpherson Committee of Enquiry, 1999, para. 6.34).

Section Editor

Charlotte Franson

Key Readings

Blackledge, A (2000) Education, Diversity and Social Justice, NALDIC News 22, November 2000

Gillborn, D (2001) Articulating the relationship between EAL, Bilingualism, African Caribbean Pupil Achievement and Race Equality, NALDIC News 23, March 2001

Harris, R (2000) Agency, Social Class and Language: overlooked features of the African Caribbean achievement NALDIC News 22, November 2000

Online Resources

The Anti-Racist Toolkit

www.antiracisttoolikit.org.uk

This staff development resource is particularly useful for teachers who are at an early stage of developing an anti-racist approach to their practice.For teachers and schools who are already familiar with the key tenets of anti-racist education and legislation, this resource may be useful for accessing further information.By going through the resource, a teacher can find out more about race equality and how to implement good practice in race-related issues.The material includes examples of good practice, exercises for staff development and electronic links to practical ideas about including racial equality in approaches to learning and teaching.

The Commission for Racial Equality
www.cre.gov.uk
This is the government site of the agency which promotes racial equality. It has very readable and accessible information for the school context. The standards for racial equality in schools, Learning for All, can be ordered from the site. The Links page provides an extensive listing of websites, and, in particular, the Education and Research listing is very comprehensive

Qualifications and Curriculum Authority
www.qca.org.uk/301.html
This is a site that offers guidance on developing both whole school and teaching approaches that support diversity and challenge racism in the curriculum.

Department for Education and Skills
www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/ethnicminorities
Their page on raising achievement and the Race Relations Amendment Act provides a useful summary of the requirements on schools and teachers regarding race equality. It also provides links to the legislation and to the CRE.

Office for Standards in Education
www.ofsted.gov.uk
Various publications of research and inspection reports regarding inclusion and promoting the achievement of ethnic minority pupils are available on-line. A quick look at 'ethnic minority' under publications will provide a list of documents which are available to download.

The European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance
http://www.coe.int/t/E/human_rights/ecri/
This website provides educational resources including a useful Education Pack (All Equal, All Different) which offers ideas, resources and activities for intercultural education with young people.

Multiverse: Exploring Diversity and Achievement
http://www.multiverse.ac.uk/
Multiverse is an Initial Teacher Training Professional Resource Network (IPRN). The website provides teacher educators, student teachers and trainees with a range of resources that focus on enhancing the educational achievement of pupils from diverse backgrounds.

The Runnymede Trust
www.runnymedetrust.org
This is a long established independent and voluntary funded site whose mandate is to promote a multi-ethnic Britain. They produce a range of successful publications promoting equality and diversity.

Institute of Race Relations
http://www.irr.org.uk
The IRR is a think tank which investigates contemporary British racism and conducts research on racism in other European countries. The IRR news network aims to provide professionals in the voluntary sector, activists, students and interested individuals with a rich and dynamic news and information resource on race and refugee issues in the UK and the rest of Europe.

Race on the Agenda
www.rota.org.uk
This is a social policy think tank devoted to issues that affect Black and minority ethnic (BME) communities in London. They have an extensive list of links in the UK relating to agencies working with black and ethnic minority communities.

Trentham Books
http://www.trentham-books.co.uk
This publisher has a lengthy list of titles regarding inclusion and equality. It also publishes a peer-reviewed journal, Race Equality Teaching.

Sage Publications

http://www.sagepub.com/journal.aspx?pid=75

publishes a journal entitled Race and Class which deals with issues of race, class and globalisation.

References and Further Reading

de Abreu, G., Cline, T. and Radia-Bond, B. (2001) The mediating role of language use and home background in children’s mathematical learning: the perspectives of monolingual and bilingual teachers. Paper presented at the EARLI 2001 Conference in Fribourg, Switzerland.

Blair, M, Bourne, J. et al (1998) Making the Difference: Teaching and Learning Strategies in Successful Multi-Ethnic Schools. London : DfEE.

Brown, B. (1998) Unlearning Discrimination in the Early Years. Stoke on Trent : Trentham Books.

Cline, T. with de Abreu, G. Fihosy, C. Gray, H. Lambert, H. and Neale J. (2002) Minority ethnic pupils in mainly white schools: research report [RR 365] London : DfES.  Retrieved on 24th September, 2005 from: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/RR365.doc

Cline, T. and Shamsi, T. (2000). Language needs or special needs? The assessment of learning difficulties in literacy among children learning English as an additional language: a literature review. London : DfEE.

C.R.E. (1986) Teaching English as a Second Language: Report of a Formal Investigation in Calderdale Local Education Authority. London : Commission for Racial Equality.

Cummins, J. (2000). Language, Power and Pedagogy. Clevedon, Avon : Multilingual Matters

Curnyn, J. C., Wallace, I., Kistan, S., & McLaren, M. (1991). 'Special educational need and ethnic minority pupils' in Scottish Education Department/Regional Psychological Services (Ed.), Professional Development Initiatives 1989 - 1990 (pp. 271 - 300)  Edinburgh : Scottish Education Department.

Dadzie, S. (2000) Toolkit for Tackling Racism in Schools. Stoke on Trent : Trentham Books.

DfES (2005) Ethnicity and Education The evidence on minority ethnic pupils [RTP01-05] Nottingham : DfES.  Retrieved on 24th September, 2005 from: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/RTP01-05.pdf

Frederickson, N. and Tony Cline, T. (2002) Special Educational Needs, Inclusion and Diversity. Buckingham : Open University Press

Gilborn, D. and Mirza, H. (2000) Educational Inequality: Mapping Race, Class and Gender. London: OfSTED.

Gillborn, D., & Youdell, D. (2000) Rationing Education: Policy, Practice, Reform and Equity. Buckingham : Open University Press

Grosjean, F. (1985) 'The bilingual as a competent but specific speaker-hearer' in Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 6, (6) ( pp. 467-477)

Hallam, S., & Toutounji, I. (1996) What Do We Know About the Grouping of Pupils by Ability? London : University of London Institute of Education

OfSTED (1999) Raising the Attainment of Minority Ethnic Pupils: School and LEA Responses. London : Office for Standards in Education.

OfSTED (2000) Evaluating Educational Inclusion. London: Office for Standards in Education.

OfSTED (2002) Achievement of Black Caribbean Pupils: Good Practice in Secondary Schools. London : Office for Standards in Education.

OfSTED (2002) Achievement of Black Caribbean Pupils: Three Successful Primary Schools. London : Office for Standards in Education.

OfSTED (2004) LEA Framework 2004 - Support for Minority Ethnic Pupils, including Gypsy and Travellers. London : Office for Standards in Education

OFSTED (2005) Could they do even better? The writing of advanced bilingual learners of English at Key Stage 2: HMI survey of good practice.  London : Office for Standards in Education.  Retrieved on 24th September, 2005 from: http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/publications/index.cfm?fuseaction=pubs.summary&id=3946

Richardson, R. and Wood, A. (1999) Inclusive Schools, Inclusive Society: Race and Identity on the Agenda. Stoke on Trent : Trentham Books.

Siraj-Blatchford, I. & Clarke, P. (2000) Supporting Identity, Diversity and Language in the Early Years. Buckingham : Open University.

Troyna, B., & Siraj-Blatchford, I. (1993) 'Providing support or denying access? The experiences of students designated as 'ESL' and 'SN' in a multiethnic secondary school' in Educational Review, 45, (1), (pp. 3 - 11)