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CERES SUBMISSION TO THE EDUCATION, CULTURE AND SPORT COMMITTEE
Inquiry into the Purposes of Scottish Education ( June 2002)
Charteris Floor 2, Room 2:5, Faculty of Education, University of Edinburgh Holyrood Road, Edinburgh EH8 8AQ
E-mail: ceres@ed.ac.uk Tel: 0131 651 6371
Part One - The achievement of racial equality in our education systemPart Two - A Racial Equality response to relevant aspects of the six themes
Part One - The achievement of racial equality in our education system
We present here our vision of the achievement of racial equality in our education system. This will be done in response to the 'overall key question':
Is there a need in a rapidly changing world for radical change in the education system?
The simple answer to this is a resounding 'YES' !
The principles that underpin our vision of a democratic Scotland within a socially just global world require that:Schools enable ALL young people to develop their full potential and contribute positively to a global society which is diverse in terms of language, culture, faith, colour, ethnicity, as well as economic power.
The realities of racism and bigotry are tackled, both historically and in the contemporary world, in an open and honest manner that is dedicated towards driving curriculum and methodological change to enable positive outcomes.
School managers acknowledge and harness the talents and abilities of minority ethnic individuals, communities and organisations asqually appropriate resources for the school.
· The institutional practices influencing staffing, hierarchy and governance of educational establishments reflect the diverse contemporary society of its time
The resources and skills required to tackle the pervasive expereince of prejudice and discrimination are made available, encouraged and developed
The Vision
Achieving the vision of an education system and society which is inclusive of racial and ethnic minorities will require radical change. It needs to be grounded on an explicit acceptance that diversity in its widest sense is a positive force, an on-going reality and a basic strength of any society. Scottish education needs to move from 'passive tolerance' to 'active acceptance' of diversity. This requires all school personnel and those who provide initial and continuing professional development to have an understanding of the concept of 'race equality', the social impact of racial discrimination and how racism interconnects with other forms of discrimination, like sectarianism, disabilism, heterosexism, class inequalities, sexism and age discrimination.
The school of tomorrow should be an organisation where learning is a dynamic process, encompassing basic democratic and pedagogical principles with children at the core of the enterprise. CERES regards the introduction of 'Education for Citizenship' as presenting genuine possibilities for such a change to take place within Scottish Education. However this will only be possible if those who shape and deliver 'Education for Citizenship' have both a theoretical understanding of the discourses on 'equity, race and antiracism' and practical competence in how to implement race equality in education.Institutional Practice
Scottish schools education needs a major shift from an emphasis on children being taught a narrow knowledge-based curriculum, to one where the facilitation of deep learning is the central aim. The rapid pace of knowledge generation implies that an over-concentration on a traditional subject-based curriculum delivered by the teacher is unlikely to be fruitful in preparing young people for the future. The focus on the teacher teaching a planned curriculum, particularly in secondary education, is at the core of an education system that disempowers the student and prevents them from developing into a self-motivated learner. Though such a system is no longer universal it continues to exert considerable influence and is likely to have a negative impact on students ( including those from minority ethnic background) for whom the transmission of institutionalised ' facts' and attitudes tends to be exclusive rather than inclusive.
This is because this approach has a tendency to perpetuate entrenched ideas (institutionalised forms of knowledge) rather than to allow for a learning and teaching environment capable of flexibility to meet contemporary requirements. Freeing the student to follow more individual learning within subject guidelines will contribute to a greater body of knowledge in society, a greater sense of ownership and purpose among students and recognise, encourage, value and reward diversity of knowledge in learning.
A degree of flexibility will also allow for the promotion of genuine bilingualism, for instance, the study of the major Asian languages, which reflect the make up of Scotland's society, complementing the availability French and other main European languages. It would also demonstrate an explicit acknowledgement of Scotland's multilingual heritage through acknowledgement of Gaelic and Scots.
Later, we have offered comment about the government's proposals concerning Faith Schools. In line with our overall argument about inclusive schooling is the question of the teaching of Religious Education. CERES believes that this should be done in schools which are defined as either secular or multi-faith schools. On occasions, such as whole school events and gatherings, there should be opportunities for inputs from different faiths (e.g. BBC Radio Scotland's 'Thought for the Day'). This should be routine practice in all schools and not seen as special multicultural practice in some schools. During religious education classes, students should be able to exercise a choice, as in other areas of the curriculum where subject choice is required, to follow lessons in the religion of their choice. Part-time/peripatetic teachers could be employed to cover minority faiths.
Scotland's teaching force is overwhelimingly predominantly white, ethnic majority. The number of minority ethnic teachers is very small in relation to the minority ethnic population. The negative and contradictory message this gives to young people cannot be over-estimated. On one hand, the education system is trying to convey a message of inclusion and equity, yet it maintains a workforce that is largely monocultural, monolingual and homogenous. Radical attention is required to redress the serious and endemic institutional racism that has given rise to the under-representation of minority ethnic professionals at all levels and in all sectors. Positive action could include better communication with minority ethnic communities about education matters in general; an overhaul of recruitment, marketing, selection and support systems in Teacher Education faculties; setting up of mentoring and other programmes to increase the participation of minority ethnic students and graduates in teaching in schools and further education, and research and academic careers in higher education.
Some of the above changes would help to achieve what we believe is not only a practical vision for the purposes of Scottish Education, but a major step in redefining and equipping Scottish society to cope successfully with the challenges of the first quarter of the 21st century in Scotland and in the wider geo-political context.
Part Two - A Racial Equality response to relevant aspects of the six themes
Theme 1 - Coping with Change and Uncertainty
'Living with diversity without becoming unsettled' is a phrase which appears in the Committee's document. This is a notion that we would wish to challenge for it implies, perhaps unwittingly, that there is an ordered uniform Scottish society which must be preserved and protected from the influences of new diverse forces and peoples. It also could imply, without defining it, that 'diversity' is something new in society.
We accept that there are differences in opinions and value attached to the issue of 'diversity' in society and that tensions are also possibilities. However, we believe that diversity is a natural feature of all societies and that it is also increasingly evident in its impact in Scotland. Recent political events across Europe have demonstrated that it is individual fears, prejudicial thoughts and ignorance that make diversity unsettling. Therefore it is fear, ignorance and misinformation that must be addressed by our future education system so that social justice and anti-discrimination are part of its core work. Most if not all diversity issues are now discussed in Scottish society, a trend which must continue until the vision of an aware and informed society has been created. People growing up confident of their individual identity and respecting the unique blend of others will allow for the development of the cultural and personal resources needed to counter unsettling effects of a changing diverse world.
Our education system has a central role to play in assisting that maturation process which enables pupils to accept that 'diversity is norm'. This goal will be greatly enhanced by having a more diverse teaching workforce who feel internally confident of fulfilling such a demanding role. We acknowledge explicitly that there are many excellent individual teachers who have not only the capacity but also the vision to take forward a diverse and equitable agenda but are often held back by the myopic views of others. As suggested, above, the current homogenous character of the Scottish education establishment as a whole is not best placed to deliver a 21st century Scotland comfortable with diversity and capable of living and working in a an ever more diverse and complex world.
'The role of parents, teachers and the local community in governing schools'
The active participation of parents, teachers and the local community should be affirmed to ensure that children's experience of schooling reflects the society in which they live. It remains a matter of serious concern that minority ethnic parents are still under-represented in the general active life of parent teacher associations (PTA) and schools boards. The majority of PTAs and parent groups are composed of majority communities and individuals who have the social capital of established friendship networks. For minority ethnic or other socially marginalised individuals, to break into these networks can be difficult if not impossible. Minority ethnic parents with additional responsibilities, such as parents of children with learning difficulties or disabilities, experience multiple discrimination and institutional barriers in accessing support services or having their concerns heard.
Innovative measures are required to redress the discriminatory effects of current practice. Some changes to 'democratic' structures and procedures of elections may be required to enable their participation; for instance, co-options might be one such action measure.
Schools that interact effectively and successfully with minority ethnic pupils in their schools are ones that have worked hard to develop equal and active partnerships with ethnic minority community groups and faith establishments like the mosque and gurdwara. Schools should expand their community links so as to better connect with their pupils and parent groups.Theme 2 - Engaging with Ideas
We need informed critical citizens. It is important to develop an education system and curriculum structure that helps young people to develop an inclination to question rather than passively to accept the status quo. The current pre-occupation that over burdens teachers and pupils with exams will not develop creative practitioners or self-motivated learners.
We welcome the potential that our education system should be developing active citizens to help shape and sustain a democratic society. We would argue that our society is far from being democratic, as our citizens are not empowered to engage actively in the structures underpin our democracy today. Thus to empower all from our perspective, involves actively developing a broad definition of citizenship which is wholly inclusive of minority ethnic people.CERES strongly supports the view that 'Education for Citizenship' holds the potential to knit together many of the conceptual areas current in Scottish education such as values education, equal opportunities, children's rights, multicultural and anti-racist education, education for sustainability, and health education to name a few. Caution must be taken to ensure that in its implementation, 'Education for Citizenship' does not sanitise matters of institutional discrimination, preferring instead to concentrate on inter-personal 'tolerance' and the 'niceties of being a good citizen'. Minority ethnic communities in Scotland continue to have only partial citizenship, in that they still confront the prospect of racial harassment; the marginalisation of their cultures, faiths and languages and limited representation in the policy making, political and business circles of Scotland.
CERES supports the view that the period of initial education is, in part, a process of apprenticeship. It is therefore important that child-centred education is one that prepares all children for diverse and global society. There are still practitioners who believe that child-centred education means working within a child's limited sphere of experience, rather than further opening the child to new information and challenging experiences. Such dated views of child-centred education unfortunately exist and must be challenged explicitly and changed.Theme 3 - Keeping Everyone Involved in Education
The failure of an ever-extending period of education to inspire and engage is also related to the relevance and ownership of that education, to the learner. The preoccupation with exam results and a controlled curriculum to achieve them, can be argued to be a root cause of education failing large proportions of our children. A far greater flexibility is needed in types of learning, measures of achievement and factual knowledge relating to learning in both practical as well as academic subjects. Creativity, confidence and rewards for all need to be woven into the fabric of education to keep young people engaged. This approach will by necessity, encompass and embrace diversity. Additionally, the curriculum must be sufficiently diverse in content and character if it is to speak to the range of learners now present in Scottish classroom and learning centres. The learning environment needs to be more respectful of the perspectives, experiences and knowledge of minority ethnic learners, affording them equal footing. There is a view at present that Scottish education has addressed all these issues, our experience suggests that good practice is patchy and the gap between good and poor practice on race equality matters is far too wide.
Scottish education can begin the process of preparing young people to appreciate and live with diversity but it cannot do so with any real sense unless those who present that vision of diversity within education institutions are representative of such a spectrum in society. As we have argued earlier, ways must be found to bring into the teaching force, people from a range of backgrounds in terms of social class, ethnic, cultural, racial, religious, gender, and disability or sexual orientation backgrounds. The teaching profession needs to be more open to working with other professionals such as community workers, voluntary sector staff and with parents. While teachers have the primary responsibility to deliver the curriculum, this must not be confused with the fact that only a 'trained teacher' can teach. We need to harness the value of cross-disciplinary partnerships and peer education between pupils and also encourage teamwork among staff from a range of disciplines and sectors.
TopTheme 4 - Promoting a Sense of Identity
This is the most fundamental and complex of all of the themes in relation to achieving aracial equality as a reality that all are comfortable with. The starting point must be the acknowledgement that minority ethnic communities have a human right to maintain their culture, faith and language as part of their ethnic identity. It is not for the education system to 'find the exact balance' in a person's identity between the regional, Scottish, British, European, and Global dimensions; nor for the education system to try to 'manage' diversity. Individual children who experience respect and inclusion within education and society are more likely to develop a strong sense of local community and an awareness of the range of possible identities in different circumstances. The balance, which each individual in society reaches on the continuum and complexity of identity, will vary with that individual's life experiences, circumstances and choices.
Added to the questions of cultural identity, there are other forms of identity that may need to be recognised. Minority ethnic communities have always experienced additional pressures to define their nationality because of immigration and citizenship policies in the UK and the European Union, where dual nationality, (a right Britain continues to vigorously uphold) and continental identity may apply. For example, after Scottish, instead of 'British' and 'European' it may be 'Pakistani' and 'Asian' or 'Kenyan' and 'African'. There may be other labels or mixed by which individuals choose to define themselves . The key point is that individuals have a legal right to define themselves. It is unfortunately still the case that life chances are dependant on how others define and rate members of minority ethnic communities, particularly in terms of nationality.
Identity will also be constructed in terms of gender, religion, disability, and sexuality. It is therefore necessary to educate all children to recognise their uniqueness and that their sense of identity is made up of a variety of factors some of which will change over time. From that position, healthy groupings and overall cohesion can emerge in society, but the dynamic will come from the individual and communities operating in society rather than society socialising people into a pre-determined mould.
The above implies a freeing of the education system from the dogmas of the past and a pre-supposed Scottish culture and social heritage. Scotland's form of 'multiculturalism' will need to be different from elsewhere, because it needs to evolve from the people living in Scotland today and tomorrow. Therefore how Scotland defines its plurality must come from the people of Scotland and not be imposed onto Scotland. Neither should 'Scottishness' be determined by powerful majorities and vested interests.
There are two sides to Scotland - the 'Wha's like us' mentality and the belief that, 'We're a' Jock Tamson's bairns'. Scotland continues to oscillate between the two. Scottish education has a role to play to help young people work with different perceptions and to create meaning from such differing sentiments. These require a teaching force that intellectually grapples with issues of identity, nationalism and justice. A teaching force that is unaware or uncritical of contemporary issues but remains locked into the narrow and technicist mode of preparing young people to pass 'that exam question' will fail to produce pupils able to develop Scotland's social, cultural and economic capital.
Theme 5 - Developing Necessary Skills
Skills of managing one's own further learning
This issue has underpinned all the arguments forwarded in this submission. Education is currently defined in terms that are too narrowly conceived and these must be broadened to encompass a wider range of skills and knowledge that are required to function well in society. In particular, we mean skills of cooperation, collaboration, dialogue, negotiation, problem-solving,conflict resolution and groupwork.
The basic skills of literacy, numeracy and competence in ICT currently occupy an important but disproportionate place in the education discourse on attainment and standards. It is wise to remember that without people-skills, being literate, numerate and computer literate are not sufficient. It is unusual to place in a submission a poem, but we feel this captures our answer to this theme." Dear teacher,
I am the survivor of a concentration camp. My eyes saw what no man should witness:
Gas chambers built by learned engineers. Children poisoned by educated physicians.
Infants killed by trained nurses. Women and babies shot and burned by high school graduates.
So I am suspicious of education.
My request is: help your students become human. Your efforts must never produce learned monsters, skilled psychopaths, educated Reichmans.Reading, writing, arithmetic are only important if they serve to make our children more human."
Source: 'The Early Years: Laying the Foundations for Racial Equality' by Iram Siraj-Blatchford, Trentham Books 1994 pp61 -62
Theme 6 - Fitting Structure to Purpose
Increase in the number of Faith schools
Increasing the number of specialist schools and faith schools is not the answer to education's contribution to achieving racial equality in our society. This is a very serious issue that Scotland has sought to avoid over centuries of its history and it is a passionate issue that has become embedded in our present education system. Scotland is not a country with an 'established' faith and so all faiths should have the opportunity of being present in the education system of the future. Schools should be a place to learn about the one or more religions of a student's choice and to learn the contribution that all religions make to the human experience. Nevertheless, while particular Faiths [Christianity, Judaism] continue to receive state funding for denominational schools, other Faiths should receive equitable treatment in the educational field.
CENTRE FOR EDUCATION FOR RACIAL EQUALITY IN SCOTLAND (CERES)
JUNE 20th 2002Part One - The achievement of racial equality in our education system
Part Two - A Racial Equality response to relevant aspects of the six themes