Understanding and promoting inclusion , equality and diversity

‘Race, Gender and addressing homophobia in schools

Objectives Develop your understanding of inclusion Develop your understanding of gender and stereotype Develop your ability to address equality through

teaching understanding of LGBT issues in schools, and to equip

you with skills and understanding so that you can contribute to promoting equality on LGBT issues

It will also provide information about a school’s duty to challenge LGBT discrimination and bullying

Challenging stereotypes Promoting education as an agent of social justice / social

change

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5 minute discussion

How does your school approach inclusion and diversity ?

What experience have you had of equality issues in your school?

What stereotypes (attitudes, behaviour, expectations, etc) have you experienced in school? How does your school acknowledge and challenge stereotypes?

What potential do you see in your own subject(s) for challenging stereotypes / promoting gender equality? 3

Discussion points.

1. What do you understand by ‘race’?

2. What do you understand by diversity?

3. What do you understand by inclusion?

Trainee Teachers: ‘Race’, inclusion and diversity - University of Southampton ‘Race’ was defined in terms of

Ethnicity (57%)‘Ethnic background of a person’

Origins (28%)‘where your ancestors come from’

Culture (18%)‘cultural heritage or background’

Inclusion was defined in terms ofInclude (46%)

‘including all whatever the differences are.’

Accessible (45%) ‘Ensuring that all have access to an education regardless of SEN, race ,gender,

ethnicity and sexuality’

Equality(28%) ‘Equal opportunity regardless of background-together’

Not exclude (20%) ‘process and practice to ensure that people are not unjustly excluded from any

aspect of education’

Diversity was defined in terms of Difference (52%)

‘the differences between groups, individual or cultures that make them unique’

Variety (45%) ‘the variety of individuals in the school (race, ability, SEN etc).’

Ethnicity (32%) ‘the range of races or ethnicities within a specific group’

Relevance and importance

In the University of Southampton study, trainee teachers were asked how important they feel it is to learn about ‘race’, inclusion and diversity in relation to other aspects of learning to be a teacher.

Very important (47%) Important (35%) Quite important (18%)

Promoting Cohesion, Challenging Expectations -Educating the teachers of tomorrow for race equality and diversity in 21st century schools – research report from MMU

“Newly qualified teachers tend to feel relatively ill-prepared to engage with pupils of BME (Black and Minority Ethnic) heritage or to respond to potentially challenging issues related to race equality in schools.”

School attainment for BME students

A picture of “marked inequality” (Gillborne and Mirza) pupils of African-Caribbean, Pakistani and Bangladeshi heritage are

markedly less likely to attain 5 higher grade GCSEs than their White and Indian peers nationally

Pupils of African-Caribbean heritage and Pakistani heritage have drawn the least benefit from the rising levels of attainment: the gap between them and their white peers had grown over a decade

African-Caribbean heritage pupils’ position worsened (often significantly) as they went through school, compared to their white peers.

“There is more inequality in attainment between ethnic groups after their time in compulsory education than there is at entry to school”. Bhattacharyya ,Ison and Blair – 2003

Black Caribbean pupils are about 3 times more likely than white pupils to be permanently excluded from school, and there are proportionately more Black Caribbean and Black Other pupils in PRUs

“Qualitative research (in primary and secondary schools) has consistently highlighted ways in which Black pupils are stereotyped and face additional barriers to academic success”

Explanations through suggestions that Black pupils are more likely to become alienated from school are not borne out by research, which suggests that the opposite is true. And that this is a stereotype

The data does not support the idea that speaking another language of itself is a barrier to achievement in school

Bilingual learners are in the highest-scoring groups (Indian and Chinese heritage)

Bilingual learners tend to advance more quickly than monolingual peers

Key question: What is gender?

Where does gender come from?

How is gender created?

What is a stereotype?

How do schools contribute?

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SEX – is biological GENDER - is a social construct GENDER describes the characteristics that a culture or

society delineates as ‘normal’ masculine or feminine behaviour

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DISCUSSION – how does our society allocate behaviours and attitudes to girls / boys and men/ women? What behaviours are promoted for girls? What behaviours are not considered appropriate for girls? And for boys?

Creating gender roles

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Which gender would you associate these behaviours with?

rational, stretching, aggressive, competitive,scientific, active, independent, emotional,fragile, caring, co-operative, passive,dependent, challenging, well-behaved,enquiring, demanding, helpful, strong,motivated, hardworking, patient, expressive,kind, gentle, reliable, eager to please,emotional, funny, beautiful, nice, active,sporty, sensitive, clean,

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Gender in schools - which gender are these school subjects associated with?

English, MFL, physics, chemistry, biology, maths, ICT, football, netball, basketball, rounders, hockey, drama, history, geography, music, RE, A&D, sociology, psychology, PSHE,

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The problem with stereotypes

Place restrictions on people’s lives Underpin prejudice and discrimination Lock boys and girls into predetermined behaviour and oblige them to

make choices based on pressure to conform Involve policing of behaviour outside the ‘norm’

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The effect of stereotypes Gender inequality is very real in society Men earn more than women, and the gender pay gap is

growing Men occupy more positions of decision-making and

power They are less tied to households and childrearing There are few women in science and engineering, fewer

men in nursing and teaching

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And in schools… Young girls in primary school are concerned about body

weight and physical appearance Girls as young as 12 feel under pressure to be sexually

available Boys feel under pressure to make sexual demands Girls and boys are pressured into making gendered

choices, rather than free choices

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Points to consider: how do we contribute to the creation of gender roles?

Teacher expectations of behaviour Teacher interactions Materials, resources and activities in the classroom Teachers as role models

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Physics teacher

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But aren’t boys underachieving? Yes – but the picture is complex Not all girls do better than all boys – social class and ‘race’

indicators also play a role The media reports the gender achievement gap as bigger

than it is The biggest achievement gap is social class

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Boys have scored lower marks than girls for many years But now girls are getting higher marks in ‘boys’ subjects This is an advance we should be celebrating – but is it

represented as being at the expense of boys’ achievements?

Career-choices and A Level choices are still heavily gendered

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The problem with strategies aimed only at boys’ attainment

Tend to stress stereotypes – for both boys and girls

Obscure the needs of girls

Give boys mixed messages

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Education for the future

Preparing pupils for a future in which their behaviour is not dominated by gendered stereotypes

Where each individual is free to pursue the life they want, without fear of not ‘living up to ‘ expectations or pressure to conform

where women can choose not to get married and have children

where men can choose not to have highly competitive jobs and stay at home with the children

where girls feel comfortable being assertive and where boys are allowed to cry

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LGBT Lesbian: a woman whose enduring physical,

romantic and/or emotional attraction is to other women.

Gay: used to refer to a man or woman whose sexual orientation is attraction to persons of the same sex and/or gender

Bisexual: a person who finds themselves attracted to persons from both genders

Transgender: term for people whose gender identity differs from what is typically associated with the sex they were assigned at birth. This does not refer to sexual orientation

Homophobia / biphobia / transphobia- used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender people

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A brief recent history 1988: passing of the Local Government Act with the

notorious Clause 28: a local authority "shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality" or "promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship“

Repealed in 2003

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Stonewall School Report – 2007

for the first time, research exposed that homophobia was “endemic” in schools

two thirds of lesbian, gay and bisexual young people reported experiencing homophobic bullying at school and only a quarter of schools were saying that such bullying was wrong.

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THE EDUCATION AND INSPECTIONS ACT 2006: “every school must have measures to encourage good behaviour and prevent all forms of bullying amongst pupils”

THE EQUALITY ACT 2010: schools must not discriminate on the grounds of race, disability, gender age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, and gender re-assignment.

CHILDREN ACT 1989: bullying is a child protection concern

2007 DCSF GUIDANCE: “a preventative approach to bullying means that schools safeguard the welfare of their pupils…Preventing and responding to homophobic bullying should be part of these existing strategies”.

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OFSTED Schools need clear, inclusive values that are understood and lived

by all members of the school community Schools should ensure that their curriculum… systematically

teaches pupils about all aspects of individual difference and diversity, including appearance, religion, race, gender, sexuality, disability and ability

Provides specific guidance on tackling homophobic bullying OFSTED will inspect records on challenging bullying, including

homophobic bullying

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Stonewall School Report – 2012 Second major study Levels of homophobic bullying had been substantially reduced (by

10%) And a huge increase in schools communicating to pupils that

homophobia is wrong But it is still the case that only 50% schools explicitly tell pupils that

homophobia and homophobic bullying are wrong

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Still over half of LGB* young people experience bullying in school Three in five pupils stated that even when teachers witnessed

homophobia in school they did not intervene More than half pupils in survey were in schools which did not

teach that homophobia is wrong Many LGB pupils do not feel able to talk to teachers

*Trans pupils were not included in the survey

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Preparing teachers to address LGBT issues in schools

Secondary pupils are too young to choose their sexuality so I don’t think it is an appropriate issue for schools.

I’m really concerned at the use of the word ‘gay’ in my school. Somehow it really doesn’t seem healthy. I mean, we would not tolerate pupils calling something ‘black’ to be nasty. But I just don’t know what to say to them. 37

I don’t know anything about LGBT issues. I don’t even really know what the letters stand for. I would not be comfortable talking to pupils about these issues.

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As a gay man, I feel very uncomfortable talking about

LGBT issues because everyone always supposes I’m talking

about myself. I really don’t want to carry a banner.

I know that LGBT pupils can experience name-calling and

homophobia, and it’s not right. I would like to contribute to a whole-school approach to

tackling this. I am hoping my school will provide some

guidance.

I have been involved with LGBT issues for many years and I look

forward to contributing to a school’s work in this area. I am

especially interested in exploring how we can challenge the

heteronormativity of the school curriculum.

LGBT bullying, harassment or discrimination is a huge

issue in schools. Every school must have strong

policies and practice in place to tackle this. Every school student has the right to feel safe and valued in school.

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I know it’s not really very good for kids to use the word ‘gay’ in

a negative way, but it’s only banter. They don’t mean

anything by it, and it can be quite funny. Of course, as a

teacher I wouldn’t use it myself.

I am disappointed that because I am committed to my religion,

people will think I don’t believe in LGBT rights. In fact, tackling

bullying and teaching pupils to treat each other with respect is

very important for me, as a religious person.

Are teachers allowed to talk about LGBT issues in schools? I thought it had been banned some years ago.

How can we support teachers and develop their ability to respond to HBT* bullying?

How can we develop our ability to promote equality and ensure all teaching is inclusive for all pupils?

*homophobic/ biphobic/ transphobic

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What is HBT bullying?

Working definition from NatCen Social Research

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Homophobic, biphobic or transphobic bullying can be defined as behaviour or language which makes a person feel unwelcome or marginalised because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, whether actual or perceived, or because of their association with people who are, or perceived to be, gay, bisexual or transgender (e.g. children of same-sex couples).

Experiences of homophobia in school

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I hear a lot of ‘that’s so gay’ and it really upsets me. I’m one of the only people that actually challenges it, and when I do I’m met with a response of ‘oh, gay doesn’t mean the same thing anymore, it just means bad’. Becky, 15, secondary school (South East)

People in the year above give me strange looks and whisper about me. I know it’s because of the way I dress. It hurts knowing that these people walk past me every day and can't see me for anything but a lesbian. Amy, 17, secondary school (East Midlands)

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It’s not what they say to me individually that gets at me, it’s the constant stream of anti-gay remarks that people don’t even know they make. I feel awful all the time. It eats away inside you and sometimes knowing what they’d do to me if they knew makes me lose the ability to breathe. Sophie, 15, private secondary school (South East)

I was alone for quite a long time, in lessons as well as during breaks. Other people only talked to me to tease me. Megan, 16, faith secondary school (Yorkshire and the Humber)

They knew I couldn’t tell teachers because they convinced me my sexuality would get back to my parents. Gabby, 16, single-sex secondary academy (South West))

Experiences of LGBT young people in schools https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n68limAtVeM

Copy and paste this to search engine (7 minutes)

NB>alternative route: go to http://www.lgbtyouthnorthwest.org.uk/Click on YouTube icon on top right hand corner. Scroll down to Homophobia in our

schools: young people speak out.

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Effects of experiencing homophobia/biphobia / transphobia Reduced attainment School drop-out Mental health problems Suicide attempt

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How do we address LGBT issues in school?

I was part of an equalities team that challenged homophobia and we wore Stonewall t-shirts and presented assemblies to Years 7, 8 and 9. We also put up Stonewall posters in my school. My headteacher spoke about lesbian, gay and bisexual and trans issues and said that homophobic bullying won’t be tolerated. We spoke about how saying ‘gay’ in a negative way is wrong and some facts and statistics about being lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans. It certainly made a positive difference.

Val, 16, secondary academy (South West)

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Making homophobia historyhttp://www.theguardian.com/education/2010/oct/26/lgbt-history-homophobia-schools

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Post session task: celebrating LGBT History

You are working with a team developing LGBT history month in your school

Consider a range of activities which will promote LGBT equality and raise an understanding of diversity for all pupils

Consider a role for your own subject area

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You may want to consider:

School policies A role for the leadership team Staff development Whole-school approaches Activities through the curriculum Liaison with outside agencies Promoting equality Combating bullying Developing student voice

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You wouldn’t go around calling someone ‘black’. ‘Oh you’re so black.’ It’s the same thing as saying ‘oh you’re so gay’. Andy, 14, secondary academy (South East)

I feel that I don't want to carry on in school if this is what I have to put up with and hide what I feel all the time. Simon, 14, secondary school (South West)

It’s definitely a day-to-day basis at my school. It was only the other day that my teacher told a boy to stop wearing purple socks because he ‘looks a bit gay’. Laura, 15, faith secondary school (South East)

It went on for most of my secondary school which was an all-girls grammar school. I even got surrounded and threatened by about 30 girls on the bench once in the school playground and the teachers didn’t do anything about it. Grace, 17, sixth form college (South East)

Diversity scenarios

In groups of 3 or 4, choose two diversity scenarios for discussion

Feedback

Diversity scenario 1 (University of Southampton, 2009)

“Inclusion is including all children in a school environment and giving them all an opportunity to learn though that may not be that they all learn the same thing at the same pace, but that they all have an opportunity to access learning. And that the school acknowledges diversity of all sorts of gender, ethnicity and culture.” (White British Female)

How important is inclusion to you as a trainee teacher?

In what ways as a trainee teacher can you ensure that you acknowledge ‘all sorts of gender, ethnicity and culture?’

Diversity scenario 2 (University of Southampton, 2009)

“With inclusion I think it is really important but I’m a bit scared of it based on something the tutor actually said the other day. He said: ‘Be careful when you are teaching in your classes that you don’t inadvertently create stereotypes’. For example if you’ve got a classroom full of kids and you’ve got one Black kid in your class and you are covering a book which has some other cultures and traditions poetry maybe, and you start talking about Black slavery you may inadvertently make that kid the post boy for Black slavery in your class and he doesn’t necessarily have any connection to that. In his mind he doesn’t see himself as anything to do with Black slavery, he sees himself as British. I am scared of that. I don’t know how to be inclusive.” (White British female)

In what ways could you address the issues raised for this trainee teacher? How would you advise and support her? How can you ensure that you do not validate, create or support stereotypes in your practice?

Diversity scenario 3 (Multiverse Resources)

I have overheard some overtly racist comments made by children to their peers, particularly when they are outside at playtime. I have spoken to the class teacher about it and she has advised me that as long as they don't do it in the classroom it is best to ignore it as ' they don't mean anything by it'. Is this is right approach?

Why is it important to address this issue? In what ways is it important for all the pupils involved? How can the school develop an anti-racist ethos?

Diversity scenario 4 (Multiverse Resources)

A Muslim pupil told an Asian trainee on placement that she was being teased by other pupils. "Is your Dad a Taliban? We're killing loads of your lot in Afghanistan. It's revenge for the London bombings." The trainee asked if she had told her class teacher. The girl said she had and the teacher had said "Never mind, it's not serious. It will pass. You have to expect a bit of teasing.“

How would you advise this trainee teacher? Why is it important to take up these issues? How can the school become an environment which rejects Islamophobic comments of this nature?

Diversity scenario 5 (University of Southampton, 2009)

I think anyone’s identity is quite important as a teacher you are in the spotlight all day long at the front of the class and you’ve got to be quite comfortable with your identity and I think that’s easier if you are White because it is going to be less of an issue… I think I will be treated in a way that is normally considered the norm. Whereas I think if I was Asian or Black I would be worried that I would be treated in a different way.

What are your thoughts on this trainee teacher’s view that if you are White being comfortable with your identity is less of an issue?

Why do you think this trainee teacher feels that people of Black or Asian descent would be worried that they would be treated differently?

Conclusions This session has been designed to provide opportunities for you to

discuss issues relating to ‘race’ inclusion and diversity.

This is intended to help prepare for the ILA assignment.

It is intended as an introduction to further reading

Please feel free to contact us for further guidance – p.ariza@mmu.ac.uk