Tag: Anti-racism

South West Anti-Racist Education Forum

Posted on by School of Education University of Bristol

On 28th June, UWE hosted the third annual South West Anti-racist Education Forum (SWAREF), an event organised in partnership between UWE and the University of Bristol.  The 2024 SWAREF aimed to build on the previous two events in 2023 and 2022 and provide informative and participatory sessions on issues which local practitioners have identified as priorities: student voice, racial literacy, safeguarding, refugee education and sharing current anti-racist projects and research. The takeaway from the day, described by an attendee, is that education practitioners should be ‘explicitly and actively anti-racist’. (more…)

Dancing our way to Tackling Diversity in Teaching

Posted on by School of Education University of Bristol

By Dr Lorna Smith, Senior Lecturer in Education (PGCE English), School of Education

It is a truism that English is a humane subject and hence that all humanity should be represented and celebrated. Yet there are, in practice, significant hurdles that mean that Black, Asian and minority ethnic students are marginalised in English classrooms. These students rarely see themselves represented in literature; if they are, racial stereotypes are perpetuated; and lessons on these texts are mostly taught by white teachers. This blog focuses on positive action happening in the PGCE English programme to ensure that all students can feel engaged and visible in all English lessons – and that includes learning from some global majority students themselves. (more…)

More ethnic minority teachers are needed in UK schools – but teaching can affect their mental health and wellbeing

Posted on by School of Education University of Bristol

Terra Glowach, University of the West of England; Malcolm Richards, University of the West of England, and Rafael Mitchell, University of Bristol

There is a major shortage of new teachers in England, and this includes teachers from ethnic minority backgrounds. Research from 2020 found that 46% of schools in England had no Black or ethnic minority teaching staff at all.

But the treatment of ethnic minority staff in schools raises ethical concerns about recruiting them into a workplace which puts significant burdens on their mental health.

(more…)