The killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers has appalled decent people worldwide. Reactions have been diverse, some visceral. No one should be indifferent to the sickening death of another black man at the hands of the authorities. Most of us are still processing events and the wider ramifications with many seeking to catalyse change.
Grandstanding statements can be unhelpful, particularly if practical action to tackle prejudice in all its forms does not follow. Clearly, schools play an ongoing role in tackling ignorance and inequality, although no institution can undertake this vital work in a vacuum.
As with schools elsewhere, the demographic of Bradford Grammar reflects its catchment, and ours is broad and diverse. This is a strength. But we are not complacent. Many members of the BGS community, current pupils, parents and colleagues, alongside our alumni (Old Bradfordians) have come forward publicly to condemn racism and discrimination of all kinds. Additionally, some searching questions have been asked about our School, and in particular the curriculum we deliver. These have been well intentioned with people seeking to better understand the positive impact education can make to illuminate past wrongs and dismantle bigotry. Dialogue has been deeply felt and constructive. We have done a lot of listening and this will continue.
Concerns raised might broadly fall under the banner of ‘Anglocentrism’. Curriculum bias has existed for a long time, it continues still, influencing what is taught and omitted in schools. But there has been rebalancing in recent times. Encouraged by those who have reached out to me, this latest HM blog describes some of this development. I am grateful to BGS colleagues for helping me with the content that follows.
The first thing to suggest is that our curriculum, in the widest possible sense, is flexible and responsive. In the immediate aftermath of the killing, our Head of Personal Development shared resources for use in discussions with tutor groups. Information and emotional responses have also been channelled through dialogue on School remote learning platforms. Our Year 12 historians have perhaps been the most active participants. Virtual assemblies have also helped pupils to process and better understand recent events and the wider context in which they sit. Many schools will be doing the same.
There is a proactive element too in what we do at Bradford Grammar School which speaks to those questions about curricula and themes of empire and slavery, many of which have come into sharp focus of late. Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) themes have been made explicit in the action plans and schemes of work of BGS academic departments over the past five years. They were present before of course, but now receive greater prominence. One of the key things to note is that the awareness of SMSC is embedded in every subject, not confined to a weekly ‘form period’ in a quiet corner of the timetable as in years gone by. Although, that said, it is our Personal Development programme, whole school and year group assembly provision and tutorial work which complement the curricular SMSC opportunities most readily in responding to the world in real time.
With regards to academic studies, and taking History as an example, we are committed to ensuring that the BAME experience is explicitly integrated in the historical record, for example by dint of studying the legacy of slavery and the sugar trade in Britain. Earlier this year, classes debated the Colston statue in Bristol and some pupils are currently embarking on an examination of post-war decolonisation, immigration and the civil rights movement in the UK.
It is fair to say that, in a conscious effort to add balance and new perspectives, our BGS historians have taken a determined approach to incrementally moving the curriculum away from some traditional historiographical narratives. This has been happening for a while and not just at BGS. Reassuringly, rather than pigeonholing such changes within ‘token’ lessons, new topics have been developed at BGS to include, for example, David Olusoga’s work on the legacy of slavery and links to industrialisation, empire through the prism of India referencing both the rise of the East India Company and competing perspectives on British rule, decolonisation/immigration and the civil rights movement in post-war Britain. Black Tudors by Miranda Kaufman is currently being integrated into next year’s syllabus. A wide horizon is maintained throughout and colonial histories beyond our own national experience are also examined, such as that of Mansa Musa and the Malian Empire.
The History Department does not stand alone. In Geography, when teaching about migration for instance, we look at the life stories of different groups of people when applying for a British work visa. With respect to poverty, we specifically ask questions about the impact of colonialism and consider these with reference to Malawi, contrasting experience here with that of Singapore. Regarding Africa, lessons are provided regarding misconceptions popularised by the media and additionally on the image of ‘white saviours’ and how this might apply to volunteering opportunities abroad.
Our Head of English tells me that, at the moment, Year 8 pupils are studying poetry and their prescribed anthology, entitled, ‘Identity’, includes works that deal specifically with race such as Half-Caste by John Agard, Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan by Moniza Alvi and Island Man by Grace Nichols. Additionally, I was reminded that a recent BGS English Society lecture examined Jordan Peele’s award-winning film Get Out and explored how the film tackled issues of race in modern America. Hatred, suffering and intolerance are subject matter in Religious Studies and discussed from spiritual and secular viewpoints. Dr Martin Luther King Jnr’s speech, Washington 1963, is heard in full by Year 7 pupils who go on to write their own prophecy addressing issues of prejudice and injustice in the world today.
This is not an exhaustive commentary, merely a window into the BGS curriculum, mirrored at other schools too. Nor are these words a paean of self-congratulation, not when ‘society’ self-evidently remains a work in progress. There must be no complacency in the classroom. But please accept the above as a small message of hope. A new balance is being struck to illuminate and comprehend aspects of British history and wider themes of bigotry and injustice that had been overlooked previously.
Teachers are not squeamish about confronting inconvenient, often painful home truths and they are adept at doing so. At the same time, we tell a story of human progress across world regions and ethnicities, building agency and confidence in young people so that they can live life to the full and do some good in this world.
It is imperative however, that greater equality of opportunity is achieved across educational settings and communities to access content and ideas such as those mentioned above. An informed and deep commitment to equality and justice must be fostered in all places of learning, not just schools. In the words of Dr Martin Luther King Jnr: “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly”.
“As with schools elsewhere, the demographic of Bradford Grammar reflects its catchment, and ours is broad and diverse. This is a strength. But we are not complacent.”
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