David Gillborn om rasism på Leda Mångfalt!

Racism, Education & Policy:

international perspectives on the complexity, controversy and politics

of racial justice

David GillbornProfessor of Critical Race Studies

16 January 2013

Lecture Overview

Defining the key terms (race, racism)

Context: demographics

Racism in Educationo teacherso policy-makers

‘Race’ Flashpoints & Controversies

‘Race’ and Racism

• Biological assumptions

• Social race

‘Race’ is defined differently o in different societieso in the same society over time


Traditional Perspective • racism is an exceptional occurrence• willingly enacted• driven by race hatred.


Traditional Perspective • racism is an exceptional occurrence• willingly enacted• driven by race hatred.

Critical Perspective • racism is extensive and taken-for-granted• enacted through ‘colour blind’ policy and rhetoric• sustained by actions that are assumed to apply fairly to all.

UK population profiles


White British


White British

White British

5+ A*-C incl. English & maths by ethnic group

(percent, all students, both sexes, 2011)

Source: DfE 2012 (SFR 03/2012) tables 1 & 2a

Understanding race inequality

Deficit Models Social Justice Perspective

‘Ability’ / intelligence Intersectional inequalities…(class, gender, disability…)

Effort.. hard workRacismFamily structure

‘Race’ and Racism in Education

Qualitative research on the views and actions ofWhite teachers in relation to Black students:


White teachers Black students

• Under-estimate academic ability;

• Over-estimate challenge & threat;

• Discipline Black students more severely;

• Disproportionately place Black students in bottom teaching

groups;

• View Black families as disrupted & unsupportive.


Colour-Blind Policy…. Racist impacts?


Colour-Blind Policy…. Racist impacts?

‘The gifted and talented scheme will identify children by looking at ability, rather than attainment, to capitalise on the talents of the individual child, regardless of ethnic background’

Departmental rebuttal on BBC News On-Line (2002)

‘Gifted & Talented’

White

Black Caribbean

Black African


White

Black Caribbean

Black African


White

Black Caribbean

Black African

Intersectional Issues


Racism is always intersectional


Racism is always intersectional

Intersectional issues do not explain racism

Education & the Black Middle Class(with Nicola Rollock, Stephen J. Ball & Carol Vincent)

Education & the Black Middle Class(with Nicola Rollock, Stephen J. Ball & Carol Vincent)

Low achievement seen as the norm for Black students

Parents’ own professional assessments were rejected or ignored

‘Special needs’ assessments were:o withheld when parents requested them, o suggested as a means of managing racist harassment.

Race & Controversy: flashpoint issues


Is colour-blind policy the only fair way?


Successful anti-racist / multicultural schools

• Strong leadership on social justice and race equality;

• Clear policies that address racism;

• Involve minoritized students, parents & communities;

• Review curricular and pastoral approaches;

• Ethnic monitoring as a key part of institutional review.


Freedom of Speech versus Race Hatred



Limits on speech are common



Limits on speech are common

Who is the best judge of harm?

Racism, Education & Policy

Racism, Education & Policy

De-centre Whiteness

Racism, Education & Policy:

international perspectives on the complexity, controversy and politics

of racial justice

David GillbornProfessor of Critical Race Studies

16 January 2013

‘she needs to work harder.’

a discrepancy was emerging, in that she would get a B for a piece of work that she had spent time doing [at home] and then she would get a D or an E [for timed work in class]. So I then contacted the school and said, ‘look there’s a problem here’, and they just said, ‘well, she needs to work harder.’ (...) I ended up having a row with [a senior teacher] because she accused me of being ‘a fussy parent’, and what she said was that my daughter was working to her level, which was the timed essay level, she was working to a D.

(Paulette, Psychologist)

not the racism at the school

the Head of year was quite shocked and quite encouraging in terms of our conversation; calling and saying, you know, 'Really sorry. We've let you down, we've let [your son] down, we didn't know this was happening' (...)

But nothing happened. (...) My son's class teacher had said to my son that I'm asking too much but not to tell me (...) I got this telephone call out of the blue one Sunday afternoon from his class teacher suggesting that he have some test - I can't remember exactly how this conversation went because it was such a shock, (it was five o'clock on Sunday afternoon) that there might be some reason for his under-performing - not the racism at the school that I told them about - but there might be some reason that he might have some learning difficulties. (Felicia, Senior Solicitor)

they had done absolutely nothing

So for instance going in and having meetings, her head of year says ‘oh, you know, I understand now. We’ll do this, we’ll do that’ and then that just doesn’t happen. (...) when [my daughter] was diagnosed with autism I together with other professionals had been in to school to talk to the Senco [Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator], to talk to the Head of Year and they had done absolutely nothing.

So there were constant visits to try to get them to take some kind of action to help [her]. You know, at first I thought it was me not being forceful enough, but as I said I was accompanied by a clinical psychologist who tried to get them to help as well and they failed. (Lorraine, Researcher, Voluntary Sector)

The E. Bacc Penalty: 5+ A*-C incl. English & maths vs English Baccby ethnic group (percent, all pupils) 2011

Indian Bangl. Bl. African

Pak. White &Bl. Carib

BlackCaribbean

WhiteBritish

E. Bacc penalty = proportion of students successful in old measure who fail to secure the E. Bacc

65.3%

73.2%78.8%80.6%

81.2%

83.4%

84.3%

Free School Meals (FSM)

Non- Free School Meals (N-FSM)

Understanding achievement in context

Achievement by Ethnicity (overall vs FSM)


(percent, all students, both sexes, 2011)



(percent, FSM only, both sexes, 2011)
