Agenda item - Anti-Racist Education Strategy - Report on Progress

Report of the Executive Director, Families, Children and Learning (copy attached)

RESOLVED –

That the Children, Young People and Skills Committee:

1.     Mote the progress made.

2.     Agree updated version (3) of the strategy including road map.

75.1    The Committee considered a report from the Executive Director of Families, Children & Learning, in order to inform the Committee of the level of available capital resources allocated to support education buildings and to recommend a capital programme for 2022/23 in respect of School Condition Allocation (SCA) and Basic Need funding.  The report was presented by the Education Adviser (Anti-Racism) and the Partnership Adviser (Health & Wellbeing).  They were accompanied by education professionals and students.

75.2    The Committee heard from education professionals from a cluster of settings who were working together to achieve change across all key stages.  Shareen Hone, Kate Jordan, Dulani Kulasinghe, Mark Roberts, Angela Simmonds and Louise Tomlinson were welcomed to the meeting.  Each spoke of their experience and how they were influencing and helping to deliver the strategy.   

75.3    The Committee was invited to listen to student testimonies from the Students of Colour Workshop Programme.  Regretfully the sound did not work so it was agreed that the testimonies would be emailed to Committee Members. 

75.4    Councillor McNair welcomed much of the report and acknowledged there were lots of good things going on in schools.  He said it was good that children’s voices were being heard but felt the report needlessly incorporated a divisive and highly contested American-born theory of race inappropriate for Brighton.  He cited the two deputations presented at today’s committee meeting, each giving contrary opinions about the strategy, as evidence that the strategy was encouraging division and reducing trust rather than encouraging cohesion.  He felt that using language such as “educators of colour” and “white allies” was unnecessary and confrontational. 

75.5    Councillor McNair referenced the report in which it was stated that 55% of key stage 4 students had witnessed racism in schools.  Councillor McNair asked what benchmark reduction was aimed for if a colour-blind approach to tackling racism was not working in Brighton and Hove. 

75.6    The Partnership Adviser responded that the data from the Safe and Well survey that had been used in the report had been obtained this year and it was necessary to have a more detailed look at the whole data set in order to understand what it conveyed.  She said there was no doubt that the survey data would be used in the future to track and monitor progress but it was not possible to confirm at this stage what the benchmark figure was.  

75.6    Councillor McNair asked why the training material for teachers referred to contested American research and included terminology such as “overt and covert white supremacy” in an American context.  He asked if the children’s material taught such contested notions as white supremacy and decolonisation.

75.7    Councillor McNair noted the last census recorded 53,000 BAME residents in Brighton and Hove, of which around half were residents of colour.  He asked if there was evidence of the various groups that comprised these communities and had they been properly consulted as to their views on the teaching of critical race theory beliefs as fact. 

75.8    Councillor McNair asked if a public debate on the Anti-Racism Strategy involving a range of experts of differing opinions would be useful in helping to guide the council’s strategy.

75.9    The Education Adviser responded to the last three questions collectively.  She stated that Critical Race Theory sought to understand how racism operated in order to overcome it.  She explained that Critical Race Theory formed one of several theories underpinning the strategy.  Colourblind approaches were not utilised in the strategy because research determined this approach did not work.  She referenced the Principles and Values section on page 9 of the strategy which clarified the theoretical approach taken within the strategy and stated it would be more constructive for this to be the focus of any debate. She felt there was an unnecessary focus on particular aspects of theory and felt it would be more useful to look at the detail within the strategy. 

75.10  Councillor Quinn and Labour colleagues strongly supported the strategy but advised they would be subjecting it to close scrutiny as it progressed. 

RESOLVED –

That the Children, Young People and Skills Committee:

1.     Mote the progress made.

2.     Agree updated version (3) of the strategy including road map.