Diversity week in schools

[wast542]

I have had an email from the primary school telling us that diversity week is coming up and they will have having some organisations in to talk to the kids.

Does anyone have any experience with what this entails? No reply from the school when I have asked.

Thanks

You need to ask again OP.
What diversity issues are being discussed and which external organisations have been invited? Don't take no for an answer but insist that you want to know that the school have exercised due diligence about the nature of all external speakers / groups and have had prior sight of all the messages being given to children.
Once you know whether it's a genuine diverse approach that includes issues of sexism, race, disability etc that specifically apply to the intake, or a rainbow array of adults selling their personal ideology to children - then you know what you're dealing with.

I believe they have to be politically neutral by law, so I would personally want to know that they aren't pushing one-sided perspectives. You can be fairly sure that they would never invite in conservative speakers to give their viewpoints.

I’d say great! Are they going to have a rabbi and a mullah come in, someone who is deaf or blind or uses a wheelchair, someone who is 103…?

Or are we just talking about one group in society, as usual?

OP, I think you have to be brave and ask them face to face. On another thread it was pointed out that we see their maths books, so why not what they're teaching them in these areas which might be fine but equally might not be? I don't think they'll be able to say no if you equate it to seeing their other work.

If they say they can't share because of copyright then alarm bells would be ringing for me. That's when there's seemingly nowhere to go but I think if that's the case, you'd find support from Safe Schools Alliance and others. Also maybe your MP. But that's worst case and it might not be worst case.

Ask exactly who's coming in.

Ask what they're going to talk about.

Ask how they're making sure all nine of the Equality Act protected characteristics are covered.

Ask how they're making sure they stay within DfE guidelines on neutrality.