representation

[epsonprinters]

Imagine your school has a history of issues re racism towards staff and students. Your senior leadership team is exclusively white and always has been. The school is multi-cultural and in a large city.

When formulating policy for dealing with such issues should minority ethnic members of staff be consulted as to how these matters should be dealt with? I am not suggesting at every stage but at some stage.

For example if the sanctions laid down for racist behaviour are not as harsh as you think they should be, as a person of colour, should the prevailing senior leadership team be obliged to alter the way it deals with such issues.

should minority ethnic members of staff be consulted as to how these matters should be dealt with
I think this would be a good idea.

be obliged
No - they are the SLT. But it might be a good idea if they listened to the views and considered them.

(NB I'm white British so know nothing of being at the receiving end of racist behaviour)

No. SLT cannot be obliged. They should consult with all members of staff. They can give weight to some consultations more than others if they wish.

Usually sanctions will be in line with other schools. The history is somewhat irrelevant because the school is already responding by formulating a new behaviour and discipline policy but SLT must strongly enforce any policy. If they have tolerated racial abuse in the past they are not doing their jobs properly. Following the policy is usually the key to stopping such behaviour as well as explaining it to pupils and making sure they understand racial abuse is not acceptable. High punishment tariffs can result in resentment and not necessarily improve behaviour. Surely improvement in behaviour is what is required so the policy should reflect this? All schools can get professional guidance on writing this type of policy if they wish. They should do this if the issue is sensitive.

It would be unthinkable to decide any issue relating to gender, specifically, women, without explicitly consulting with women. Likewise disability, religion etc. However when the dynamic is race there seems to be a total resistance to involve people of colour.

Certainly where I teach there seems to be an almost pathological determination to avoid consulting with people of colour, of which there are many, about issues that directly affect them.

It's 2017. No one should be able to make this statement about any school much more one in London.