Black Lives Matter not allowed to be discussed in class

[Geppili]

AIBU to be shocked that my primary school DS told me that they are not allowed to mention or talk about Black Lives Matter. Apparently teacher said that it is a political issue and therefore against the rules to discuss? They are Year 5. I am angry and shocked.

I’m getting reams of BLM work sent home and dc are watching Bake Off in school. Strange world we’re in atm.

It probably was more not the time to discuss it rather than the school won’t discuss it. Are they covering the curriculum? Is it not generally the same as what we’re getting?

Much of this depends on what the pupils were meant to be doing at the time. If it was a general form period, then I think it wouid be wrong to rule out any current events topic (subject to age suitability)

But if they were meant to be doing maths at the time, then too right they should be doing maths not debating something elss, no matter how important the something else might be.

I’d be inclined to agree. It is political and hugely based on the teacher opinion. Also may lead to comments that need to be passed on etc etc. These topics are best avoided in class.

@onemoreuser

If you truly believe those things then it's you that needs reigned in.
To say that institutional racism does not exist in the UK is embarrassingly naive. White privilege exists and acknowledging it isn't racist in the least. In fact I'm happy to go one further and say that white people can't experience racism.

It sounds to me like a teacher, exasperated at a kid yelling out something relatively random, saying the first thing that came into her head because she didn't want to have an impromptu conversation about racism at the end of the Bake Off. Not necessarily her finest hour, but I would be very surprised if there's actually a school rule saying they can't discuss racism.

In fact I'm happy to go one further and say that white people can't experience racism.

So you don't think people from the Traveller community experience racism in the UK?

@hearhoovesthinkzebras

Well Romany Gypsies and Irish Travellers are among the protected groups on the basis of their race so yes, they do experience racism and racial prejudice. That is quite clearly not the group that I was talking about.

We live in a country, thank god, where people of all skin colours are equals in society and under the law. Of course there will always be pockets of racism here and there but as far as institutional affairs go we all have equality. This is not an issue for children in school

Which panacea are you living in? In the UK there is systemic and institutional racism that affects children, young adults and adults alike from BAME populations.

Whatwould,

My personal opinion is that there is a massive element of intersectionalism in racism in the U.K. if you are a well off, well educated black person (say an Etonian), I would say you are actually in a very privileged position.

Universities are crying out to address Lack of black students, so you will probably get a lower offer and many top employers have programs to accelerate the progress of ethnic minorities (and your parents will probably have white cleaners, gardeners etc).

However, I do believe that if you are black and underprivileged in other ways as well, you have the worst of all worlds and racism is a major factor in your life.

However, all the above is just my opinion and based on my personal experiences.

The point is, that in a school, whatever your opinion is, it should be heard and discussed with courtesy. I suspect that is hard to do these days without setting up the rules of debate carefully. A teacher maybe cannot do that in a regular lesson.

I think that is a wise decision.

[quote WhatwouldLangdo]@hearhoovesthinkzebras

Well Romany Gypsies and Irish Travellers are among the protected groups on the basis of their race so yes, they do experience racism and racial prejudice. That is quite clearly not the group that I was talking about.[/quote]
But you said that white people can't experience racism. Irish Travellers are white.

Schools have Black History Month,
A school I was in also celebrated traveller history as there were a lot of travellers in that community.

The curriculum has British values on it. So lots of discussion about that.

Here's some DFE guidance on teaching this.

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/380595/SMSC_Guidance_Maintained_Schools.pdf

Including

further tolerance and harmony between different cultural traditions by enabling students to acquire an appreciation of and respect for their own and other cultures
encourage respect for other people; and

@larrygrylls

Whatwould,

My personal opinion is that there is a massive element of intersectionalism in racism in the U.K. if you are a well off, well educated black person (say an Etonian), I would say you are actually in a very privileged position.

Universities are crying out to address Lack of black students, so you will probably get a lower offer and many top employers have programs to accelerate the progress of ethnic minorities (and your parents will probably have white cleaners, gardeners etc).

However, I do believe that if you are black and underprivileged in other ways as well, you have the worst of all worlds and racism is a major factor in your life.

However, all the above is just my opinion and based on my personal experiences.

The point is, that in a school, whatever your opinion is, it should be heard and discussed with courtesy. I suspect that is hard to do these days without setting up the rules of debate carefully. A teacher maybe cannot do that in a regular lesson.

I completely agree with you.

We've got the opposite problem. Our Year 5 has been set BLM work for home schooling this week. Personally, I've already discussed it with her quite a bit, and it's been a topic of conversation more generally in our household (some BAME people in extended family, questions over whether or not we would take part in protests) and I don't mind sitting down and going through the comprehension with her. But I know a lot of parents are having to just sit the kids down in front of the computer and let them get on with it, and I really don't think a topic this sensitive should be left to children to work out unguided.

My personal opinion is that there is a massive element of intersectionalism in racism in the U.K. if you are a well off, well educated black person (say an Etonian), I would say you are actually in a very privileged position

If you replace 'black person' with female and racism with sexism, how would that sound?

It's amazing how people's responses to racism is exactly the same as people's responses to sexism.

Choma,

To me wealth and education are the two greatest ‘privileges’ in the U.K. today. They overwhelm all the others.

People (especially the very wealthy) don’t like to hear that, but it does not make it untrue. If you are born into money (and especially if you are private school educated) your life chances are so much better than someone not in that position regardless of anything else.

I don't think people's responses to racism and sexism are the same at all.

I think any attempt to try and promote understanding around racism and equality is better than nothing. Even if you don't want to discuss BLM as a political group, you can discuss the current and historical context of why they have come to be. My son's primary have been silent on the issue, even though it is a faith school, quite a number of Christian leaders have been quite vocal on the recent issues so you'd think there'd be a way to incorporate it gently into an RE lesson, or something My daughter is in y7 and her school has provided a number of history lessons related to slavery and abolition so that is good, encouraged them to create some artwork relating to current issues. My children are 9 and 11, mixed and are both well aware of racial issues, perhaps even the 'complex' notion (not that complex to be fair) of structural racism. My son doesn't always understand why he gets told off more harshly by teachers for doing the same things his white female classmates do (chatting to his friends), or why him and his black friends have been called a bunch of rats by a TA at the age of 6/7yrs old. It is probably more teachers and school staff that need the anti-rascism and equality training and education more than the children to be honest, or if they do receive it, they must be asleep or switched off.

In fact I'm happy to go one further and say that white people can't experience racism.

So walking through Leicester once and being called a "white bitch" had nothing to do with racism then?

My son's primary have been silent on the issue, even though it is a faith school

Does it do Black History Month as part of the curriculum?

I find the difference surprising, we are getting so much on this here

I agree with the school. Keep politics out of the class. Too many in education pushing their own political beliefs.
A message of be respectful and kind to everyone should cover it.

@Hearhoovesthinkzebras

Racism is deeply linked with power and privilege. Irish Travellers belong to a group which don't have that power. Individuals will have a certain amount of privilege by being white but as a group, they experience discrimination as other minority groups do.

@larrygrylls

Of course aspects like wealth and education bring their own privilege to a person but in my own life experience, having a high level of education has not stopped white people calling me half-caste, the n word, coon etc. It hasn't stopped people touching my hair, asking where I'm really from or wondering out loud what colour my kids will come out.
When something like skin colour is immediately visible, I don't think the privilege of other things over-rides the race based prejudice and discrimination.

Racism and equality are complex topics for young children and should be address in a properly prepared lesson, not in an off the cuff manner at the end of something else. The whole area deserves better coverage.

The teacher was right to shut down anything on BLM, that is clearly political and not up for discussion in a classroom. It can also be a flashpoint for bullying.

He or she should perhaps have suggested a session specifically on diversity and racism at a later date.

@contrmary

No, it's not. If you are white then it's completely unreasonable and frankly insulting to claim that your experience is anything like the widespread, systemic and ingrained discrimination and hatred that people of colour experience.

It's very difficult to discuss matters like this in 5 or 10 minutes. Not a great response from the teacher but also sounds like child was shouting something a bit irrelevant.

We teach about political parties, very carefully keeping our own political views out. I would guess the school would rather address this as a whole school teaching point rather than just in one class. Y5 probably wouldn't understand that organisations aren't the same as the overall ideas of 'black lives matter'. So it would need to be addressed very carefully.

Also, while this is so topical it would be hard to discuss this without effectively giving children to chance to understand nuance as the class might disagree with their parents' stance which could lead to backlash against the teacher and/or school.

Totally something to be covered but there is no specific rush in primary. Worth waiting until enough time and planning were available.