Anti-racism in Schools: A question of leadership?

Abstract

Between 1999 and 2003 a number of principals (n 0/35) from a range of schools in Western Australia were interviewed to investigate the extent to which the state's Antiracism policy and guidelines for complaint resolution (1998) had impacted on the day-to-day management of schools. These principals overwhelmingly reported that racism was not a problem within their schools. At the same time they constructed racism in terms of individual pathologies and suggested that any racist incidents, should these arise, could be dealt with more than adequately under various schoolbased behaviour management or anti-bullying policies. There were no real differences in responses over time, nor were there any discernible patterns according to type of school. The findings suggest that the majority of these school managers did not understand the nature and extent of racism and were ill-equipped to deal with the more covert expressions of racism.

Attitudes of Classroom Teachers to Cultural Diversity and Multicultural Education in Country New South Wales, Australia

“…However, support for multicultural education and anti-racism in schools is not universal, with disagreement about how best such aims should be approached (Aveling, 2007;Buchler, 2013). The election in 2013 of a Liberal-National (conservative) administration to government in Australia saw the initiation of a debate about diversity and multicultural education, placing a question mark over the future of cross-curriculum initiatives.…”

Examining the primary school experiences of intercountry adoptees : perspectives of adoptive parents and children

“…Findings provided evidence of institutional racism consistent with the literature (Aveling, 2007;Charles, et al, 2014;Hollinsworth, 1998). These included reductionist attitudes towards racial discrimination/victimisation or treating everyone "the same" (Aveling, p. 79); tokenistic approaches to multicultural education; standardised testing (or lack of appropriate assessment) of ESFL learners; insensitivity in curriculum implementation and resource selection, and the existence of assumptions, generalisations and stereotypes.…”

“…Like immigrant children, adoptees experience instances of institutional and individual racism, both subtle and overt, intentional and unintentional, as a result of taken-for-granted practices, or from other children and teachers (Aveling, 2007;Charles, et al, 2014;Hübinette & Tigervall, 2009;Hübinette et al, 2009;Huh, 1997;Huh & Reid, 2000;Tigervall & Hübinette, 2010). As children's understanding and acceptance of their adoption story changes over time, some may experience varying degrees of grief and loss (Brodzinsky, 2011;Brodzinsky et al, 1992).…”

“…Some principals give insufficient credence to systemic and institutional practices which marginalise minority race students, are often reluctant to acknowledge the existence of racism in their schools (Aveling, 2007), or grapple with the intersection of race, culture, class, gender and religion to find workable solutions to complex issues (Charles, et al, 2014). Authentic multicultural education needs to go far beyond notions of "heroes and holidays" celebrations (Banks & Banks, 2010, p. 61;Lee et al, 2002), incidental flag flying, song and dance, "boomerang or didgeridoo" displays (Aveling, 2007, p. 80), but should encompass many different facets of social and cultural awareness and inclusion (Banks & Banks, 2010).…”

“…Australian schools are a significant setting in which racism occurs, particularly for children from diverse cultural backgrounds (Greco, Priest & Paradies, 2010; principals' constructions of racism (Aveling, 2007;Hollinsworth, 1998) and the intersection of race, class, gender and religion within the social and historical context of schools and communities (Charles, Fox, Halse & Mahoney, 2014;Nieto & Bode, 2012). It has been noted that "institutional racism" 6 may take various subtle forms, for example, significant historical omissions within the curriculum; insensitive selection of teaching resources; "superficial and reductionist" approaches to multiculturalism, and downplaying the management of racial victimisation as "normal schoolyard bullying" (Aveling,pp.…”