Cultural Competence in Schools - The Visible and Invisible Burden of the Black Child in the School System
I am a black mother to 2 black children, and I have worked in schools my entire career, so I have both lived and professional experience of the ways in which black and brown children can be invisible and hyper-visible within the education system. This happens both on a systemic and an individual level; lack of representation in the school system further compounds this issue.
46% of schools in the UK have no minority ethnic teachers, including in ethnically diverse locations. (UCL, London. 2020), 93% of school governors are white, while just 1% are black, a further 1% are of mixed ethnicity, and 3% are Asian. (National Governors Association). In 2019, of the 21,356 Headteachers in England, only 277 were black, approximately 1% of the Headteacher population. (Race, Equality and Diversity in Education) A report on the school teacher workforce published by the government in 2020 summarised that teachers in every type of school were least likely to be from the Chinese, mixed or Black African ethnic groups. The absence of representation across the board means that what is normalized and accepted comes from a limited lens.
When choosing which schools my children should attend, as well as the usual checks parents go through, I had the additional task of trying to assess if the environment would be a safe place for my black child. Unfortunately, the truth is that of my multiple school visits; I didn’t get the reassurances I needed. From the absence of representation in school staff to the absence of racism in bullying policy to the lack of an antiracism statement, there was not much to reassure me as a black mother that the school had an awareness and understanding of the additional burden that comes with being racially minoritized. So, I took a leap of faith when deciding, an experience I am sure is not unique to me as a mother.
3 things contribute to the invisibility and hypervisibility of the black child:
- Hair – hair policies that are not inclusive of afro hair at best and at worst discriminate against afro hairstyle. Black children are therefore left feeling self-conscious about their appearance, an aspect of their identity. Hair should not be a factor that impacts a child’s educational experience.
- Language – assumptions can be made about bilingual children/families as well as foreign accents, accents are not exclusive to racially minoritized pupils, but certain accents can create conscious and unconscious judgments. This can impact how schools engage with families, as well as impact children’s confidence level in expressing themselves. Being understood in a meaningful way is important for children as they navigate through the education system.
- Representation – as well as a lack of representation in the school system, the school curriculum itself lacks representation. According to a report by the Black Curriculum (a social enterprise), the national curriculum in England “systematically omits the contribution of black British history in favour of a dominant white, Eurocentric curriculum” this does not reflect UK’s multi-ethnic society, meaning a significant proportion of students are not seeing their history and other aspects of their culture represented in the curriculum. This can impact a young person’s sense of identity and belonging. Representation can improve this and create pride in one’s cultural heritage. In addition, diversity in the school curriculum offers a more robust educational experience.
Cultural Competency is important to improve black children's experiences and develop empathy and a deeper understanding of the world in all children, including white children. It is not an additional CPD but an essential component of safeguarding children and prioritising their wellbeing. To sign up for Nafsiyat’s CPD-accredited Cultural Competency in Schools Training, click here.
By: Kemi Omijeh