To think it's weird that our school only has pictures of white children on its website?

[BruhWhy]

Just that really. We live in an area that's increasingly ethnically diverse and my own children are mixed.

There is a mix of white, black, Asian and mixed children in every class, in every year.

They just updated their website and have taken lots of new pictures of pupils to put onto it, but they've chosen only white children.

I know it's not massively important in the grand scheme of things but it did make me sit there and think 'oh, this might have been a decision that was made' and it's made me feel a bit funny.

@OnceuponaRainbow18

It’s terrible and I would raise it ASAP.

Our school has done the opposite and from the website you’d think there were no white kids at this school- when there’s about a 50/50 spilt

Have you raised it with your school?

@BruhWhy

Feel free to post this on black mumsnet you’ll get a much more constructive/ understanding response.

@Oftenithinkaboutit

Yes I have, but I work there so have no problem telling them these things

I don’t get it.

If I make an observation from my children’s school with I find concerning, I contact them.

It’s happened twice in 5 years.

I drop them an email asking for a 15 min chat.

I raise the concern, no drama, we chat and both times it’s been resolved.

If the op raised, they would update with photos to more accurately reflect the school composition and probably profusely apologise for this ridiculous oversight

[quote OnceuponaRainbow18]@Oftenithinkaboutit

Yes I have, but I work there so have no problem telling them these things[/quote]
But how did you word it?

Surely “love the website but perhaps when we next update it would be worth giving some thought to using photos that more accurately reflect the composition of the school?”

Surely worth raising with them .also I would be surprised if no one else had noticed as well.presumably an oversight, so they can get busy in the new year correcting things !

@BruhWhy ignore the "PC gone mad" brigade. You are right. Raise it.
My DD goes to a school which is hugely diverse and the school website has made an effort to have a wide range of representation on the websites. When we were looking at schools it made a difference as some of the school's we could have chosen were less diverse (one is 95% white, one 95% Asian, neither representative of our local population). As it was covid we had no chance to go to the school so relied on the videos they sent out.

[quote PlanDeRaccordement]@DameFanny

Actually, I agree with @EightWheelGirl that a school that disproportionately over displays ethnic minority children to exaggerate their actual real life diversity is in fact doing tokenism.

It is also very common in the west that this happens.

I was one of the reasons why I withheld permission for my DCs photos or videos to be taken or displayed in any format whatsoever for any reason whatsoever. Because I knew they’d become the poster Asian Chinese children for the school.

Are you saying this does not happen? That minority children are not ever exploited to advertise schools in a way that misleads other parents on a school’s real life diversity?[/quote]
I W pop iOS to cafe about what school’s motivation

The bigger picture is that Asian Chinese families that may be considering the school are able to reassure their children that they won’t be the only Asian Chinese child. Also may draw them to apply because they see too are reassured that their child is reflected on the school’s website.

Sometimes it’s about putting aside the motivation behind an action but looking at the bigger picture

I wouldn’t care about the school’s motivation
I went to say!

Meant

Sorry typing and serving breakfast!

[quote LondonWolf]@EightWheelGirl

You make a lot of sense but I see you’ve already been called the big R word for doing so [/quote]
Of course you'd think so. Surprise surprise, PC gone maaard stance and conveniently conflating bigger issues with a bit of gesture suggesting ethnic minorities are welcome in a school. No, it's best to do the opposite then. Never show their faces for ACurraCy.🙄

I see you've already insinuated that the OP is the T word and you're probably getting ready to insinuate or call others the RB or RCW or W term, as usual.

see you've already insinuated that the OP is the T word and you're probably getting ready to insinuate or call others the RB or RCW or W term, as usual.hm

I’ve only posted once on this thread - the one you quoted and I have no idea what those abbreviations mean. You’re mistaking me for someone else I think

Oh apologies you’re right. I did post previously, I had totally forgotten, that’s how invested I am 😁. I should apologise for that too, sorry OP. I just do think there’s a lot of these kinds of threads around and they often feel purposely and “off” and baity. Apologies again. Still don’t know what your other abbreviations mean though.

@DameFanny @MissTrip82 Agree with your posts. There's typically no counter solution. Some posters MO is taking the 'deliberately misreading and/or manipulating posts for their agenda' stance just to counter the "woke brigade" or "race baiters" or "race card wielders". You know, the usual names they give people.

Very weird. My school was always the other way round. Also the 6th form prospectus made it look like it was mostly boys in the health and social care course and mostly girls doing physics.

@Oftenithinkaboutit
The bigger picture is that Asian Chinese families that may be considering the school are able to reassure their children that they won’t be the only Asian Chinese child. Also may draw them to apply because they see too are reassured that their child is reflected on the school’s website.

No we can’t actually reassure our children that they won’t be the only Asian Chinese child in their class based on school advertisement! That’s why we did physical tours. Because quite often, the advertisement shows the school to be more diverse than it really is or currently is. That photo of an Asian Chinese child could be from five years ago!

Again, I am talking about the schools that deliberately exaggerate their actual diversity through the use of photos of minority students...which I can tell you does in fact happen.

I would raise this with the school. It may not have been done deliberately, but they should change it to reflect the school population.
A couple of times I've seen schools go the other way and overstate ethnic diversity by using the same few children in lots of photos.

[quote PlanDeRaccordement]@Oftenithinkaboutit
The bigger picture is that Asian Chinese families that may be considering the school are able to reassure their children that they won’t be the only Asian Chinese child. Also may draw them to apply because they see too are reassured that their child is reflected on the school’s website.

No we can’t actually reassure our children that they won’t be the only Asian Chinese child in their class based on school advertisement! That’s why we did physical tours. Because quite often, the advertisement shows the school to be more diverse than it really is or currently is. That photo of an Asian Chinese child could be from five years ago!

Again, I am talking about the schools that deliberately exaggerate their actual diversity through the use of photos of minority students...which I can tell you does in fact happen.[/quote]
I specifically did not say “in their class

Not to be the only Asian Chinese child in the school

I disagree with you OP, it is important.

IME schools go the other way (I look at a lot of school websites in my work) and even schools that aren't ethnically diverse will make sure they tick that box with the photos.

I'd say someone messed up at your school.

Ivan assure you many many professionals (and stockbrokers!) work side by side with immigrants because SHOCK HORROR not all immigrants are labourers. Try not to be ridiculous

Who’s Ivan? Is he one of the Russian stockbrokers? 😂

I’m just saying that for all the preaching the middle classes operate in the least diverse environment. Woke types seem to be overrepresented in the white MC graduate arena, and I often wonder if their lecturing about diversity stems from them not comprehending that a lot of people don’t live in the same privileged bubble they do.

You make a lot of sense but I see you’ve already been called the big R word for doing so hmm

Thanks. I can be a bit opinionated after a few drinks and did wonder if I’d come across a bit confrontational, but I do honestly roll my eyes at some of the woke lecturing that seems so en vogue right now. I think it was already on my mind and this thread prompted it.

The 'wokest' middle class types I know are black, highly educated and under 40.

On another note, I keep wondering why the word 'woke' has such negative connotations when dictionary definitions are variations on "aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice)." Using 'woke' negatively is, in my opinion, racist.

The ‘wokes’ types I personally know are teachers and very comfortable professionals - not race based at all.

Using 'woke' negatively is, in my opinion, racist.

I don't use it myself, but I don't think it's racist- just a convenient descriptor for the people Titania McGrath sends up. mobile.twitter.com/titaniamcgrath