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.

No, I can think of quite a few other words for those types, 'woke' isn't one of them.

Before you’d say someone was ‘right on’ but that had more of a ‘socialist - wanting to do the right thing’ connotations (a bit humorous/silly but not contemptuous). You wouldn’t be too hacked off to be described as ‘right on’.

The word ‘Woke’ seems - less critical thinking and more band wagon-jumping.

Not sure how we got here - although the left wing in the U.K. and US (not sure about elsewhere) have seemingly ‘jumped the shark’ recently.

I think (far) right wingers (dare I say, racist, especially in the USA) used woke as an insult and tried to change its meaning, to disempower. I'm not going to contribute to that and use it negatively.

I'll stick with the dictionary definition which I think is really positive. I hope I'm woke!

You can’t really equate US and U.K. - politics and history are so different and are so much more loaded. I’ve not come across woke used in racist terms - most people I know aren’t white, most of my family isn’t, kids at school etc, so it’s probably just not my world. I’ve seen the WiSpa woman called a Karen and this puzzled me as I thought that was a middle aged white woman insult (but hey, anything to try to shut a woman up, eh?)

We have become more ‘American’ in terms of arguments and trends - to watch people argue on twitter (in the U.K.) using American history and laws as ‘evidence’ is quite puzzling.

Historically different yes, but some things overlap (or cross the ocean) quite quickly. I think some original meaning and new meaning is one of these. Most of my friends are also non white but the ones who are passionate about racial and social justice believe woke is a positive thing even if they are not passionate about every 'liberal' (also becoming a bad word) cause.

It is very important that the website/leaflets etc. show the diversity of the school. I would definitely query it. Our junior school doesn't have as much diversity as you're stated yours does and I've just gone through out website and there is real mix of students on there.

@KittenKong

You can’t really equate US and U.K. - politics and history are so different and are so much more loaded. I’ve not come across woke used in racist terms - most people I know aren’t white, most of my family isn’t, kids at school etc, so it’s probably just not my world. I’ve seen the WiSpa woman called a Karen and this puzzled me as I thought that was a middle aged white woman insult (but hey, anything to try to shut a woman up, eh?)

We have become more ‘American’ in terms of arguments and trends - to watch people argue on twitter (in the U.K.) using American history and laws as ‘evidence’ is quite puzzling.

What region do you live that most people you know aren’t white?

@Ilovewillow

It is very important that the website/leaflets etc. show the diversity of the school. I would definitely query it. Our junior school doesn't have as much diversity as you're stated yours does and I've just gone through out website and there is real mix of students on there.

Do you think gives impression that more diverse than actually is?

Bingo! I called it. Woke (and other terms) is usually the next word that follows once someone starts going on about certain 'annoyances'.

This is not news but may be to some, 'woke' started in the US as a racial context but other issues were later added to it and has now been bastardised by both people jumping on the wagon to scream 'woke' over any issue (They're called "Fake wokes" in some communities) and those who conveniently use it to shut down anything that may be of benefit to ethnic minorities, especially Black people. But hey anything to shut Black people/ethnic minorites up, eh?

The funny thing is that some of these people would argue that terms like Karen shouldn't be used at all (even though it has multiple uses besides "middle aged women", but that's what they want to hold onto) - fair enough - but can't seem to see the hypocrisy in insisting on using "woke" in the negative way when it has another use meant to be a positive stance.

Ironically, women who're fighting for women's rights - Feminists - are 'woke' in the descriptive sense of the word (woke to the issues women face, etc), but most won't see themselves that way since it's a convenient term to lump every other person who speaks up against injustice (besides women's rights, of course) together.

Maybe they're the only parents s who agreed to allowing their dcs on websites /sm etc

Link: Woke - Origin, Usage, etc

That's a Wikipedia link by the way, but a quick google will tell you all you need to know about the term through several links. There's no confusion there except for those who use it blindly as the new bandwagon word without knowing where it came from, or those who know and insist on using it negatively.

Why does it matter if all the kids are white, I couldn’t get worked up about it, just like it wouldn’t matter if all the kids were Indian, black or green with red spots.

Not everyone of every race can be in everything, these things just happen, and as long as it’s not done on purpose or with ill intent then it shouldn’t matter, should it. Do you check all websites to ensure they have all races and sexes on the website?

Thanks user. That's much better than me arguing it!

@Lostmyheart101

Why does it matter if all the kids are white, I couldn’t get worked up about it, just like it wouldn’t matter if all the kids were Indian, black or green with red spots.

Not everyone of every race can be in everything, these things just happen, and as long as it’s not done on purpose or with ill intent then it shouldn’t matter, should it. Do you check all websites to ensure they have all races and sexes on the website?

Let me guess

You’re white?

What region do you live that most people you know aren’t white?

This wasn't addressed to me and not entirely sure of the relevance but I'll bite! I live in London suburbs. My husband and most of my close friends (meaning someone I would speak to about these issues rather than mums on school run) are not white. That doesn't mean most people around me aren't white!

You should definitely say something OP. The website should reflect the school, or there's not much point in having photos on there.

Like many on here, our school went the other way. The demographic is white, as its a small white working class area. There was no diversity on the website so the school went with cartoon kids on the main pages instead of photos. Out of the 10 cartoon children, there are two white kids - one blonde girl and a red head boy (who is in a wheelchair). I find it ironic when I collect my child from a sea of mostly brunette, all white children. Doubly so as my friend had to move their daughter because the school is quite old and not very wheelchair friendly.

I’m sorry if I antagonised
It was a genuine question

I was thinking “know” as in work colleagues, neighbour, fellow school parents etc

But it’s actually “friends with”, which makes more sense

Yes I am white, but I was bought up in a very multicultural town and in my school and class there was so many different types of races, and only 3 “white” kids in my class. It was so normal that people don’t even see skin colour, your just Mohammed in Red class or Sarah in green class.

We didn’t have a school website back then but if we did I imagine there wouldn’t have been any white kids on it, as there was only a few on the school, which is fine, it doesn’t matter does it, unless someone does something like that with malice or ill intent, then it’s different.

@Lostmyheart101

Yes I am white, but I was bought up in a very multicultural town and in my school and class there was so many different types of races, and only 3 “white” kids in my class. It was so normal that people don’t even see skin colour, your just Mohammed in Red class or Sarah in green class.

We didn’t have a school website back then but if we did I imagine there wouldn’t have been any white kids on it, as there was only a few on the school, which is fine, it doesn’t matter does it, unless someone does something like that with malice or ill intent, then it’s different.

Did you encounter racism being such an extreme minority at your school?

If I’m honest, I don’t recall any racism towards anyone, myself included, at any point in my school days. It was normal life for there too be such a mix, and no one was richer than anyone else, we was ALL poor together.

Only thing I remember is boys were often favoured over girls, so there was a bit of sexism I guess. Boys got away with everything but the girls would get in trouble for a similar thing at school.

Interesting, thanks

Do you have any idea the current demographic of your school?

With all the current issues around covid and outbreaks School closures etc updating the website probably isn't top priority atm understandably

Just had a look at their website and in 2018/2019 ~ 72.9% of pupils first language was not English. So I imagine it is still very diverse