Diversity. This word is often thrown around and slotted into various conversations in education. It is also frequently used to justify or provide rationale around why certain decisions are made. But what does it actually mean to create a diverse learning environment?
I am aware that tackling structural racism will require many years of different strategies that all schools must adopt. However, we can all begin with ourselves.
The following five ideas can be easily incorporated in our classrooms and schools to ensure that black, Asian and minority-ethnic (BAME) communities are represented in a natural and encompassing way.
1. Representation
Ensure that you have pictures of people of colour on all display boards. Before creating resources, check the names, race and gender. This is a huge adjustment that we can all make daily. This provides a platform to constantly remind children of the many different types of people who look the same or different to them. Diversity within classrooms must exist, regardless of how diverse the school’s intake is.
2. Celebrating differences
Do not correct children if they make statements about their peers’ appearance. When we tell children that it is rude to state that someone has “dark”, “light”, “black” or “brown” skin, we are underhandedly saying that there is something wrong with seeing or accepting someone’s differences. Do we have a range of skin tones when self-portraits are being created? The message that we need to spread is one of seeing difference and celebrating it. We can change the dialogue by stating: “Yes, well noticed! Oke has mahogany-coloured skin and you have lighter, peach skin. Isn’t it great that we have such a variety within our classroom?”
3. Know your students
Get to know your class intake. Celebrate a wide range of holidays and make a conscious effort to discuss and celebrate religious or cultural occasions from all walks of life. It is often the fear of the unknown that triggers racism. Additionally, this is a great way for staff to educate themselves further, too.
4. Work together
I appreciate that we cannot be experts on all cultures, but we do have the capability to invite in parents or carers to educate the class and wider school about topics of interest. A strategy to learn about your students, for instance, would be to ask parents to attend an “all around the world” day. Tables can be set in the hall, with each parent sharing food, stories or games from their country of choice.
5. Literature in classrooms
Children must learn about different cultures throughout the curriculum. Have you looked at how many authors from the BAME community are being represented? Have you ensured that stereotypes are not being made throughout the stories told? We must check and reflect on the resources and messages we spread. It is imperative that children understand that each part of the curriculum can feature different cultures.
As teachers, we have a privilege to educate the next generation and ensure they are accepting and understanding. Racism is a broad and deep issue. Therefore, incorporating a few positive things every day may provide a rippling effect for the next generation.
Shaleena Anand is a primary school teacher in Greater London
This article originally appeared in the 24 July 2020 issue under the headline “Five things schools can do to help tackle racism”
