In 2021-2022, I was part of the first cohort to participate in Education Scotland’s ‘Building Racial Literacy’ programme. I was seconded, on a part-time basis, to the authority with a focus on supporting others on their Rights Respecting Schools journey and delivering on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), so this opportunity fitted perfectly with this work. The final part of the course was to write an action plan on how you would put your learning into practice. I decided that my focus would be a “test of change” curricular audit of S1 and S2 courses within the faculty. Teachers and pupils would work alongside each other to audit the courses and would be co-creators of any changes identified. This rights-based approach would put young people’s voice at the heart of curricular content and design.
"Teachers and pupils would work alongside each other to audit the courses and would be co-creators of any changes identified."
Choosing our Young People
Through discussion with Pastoral Heads, a small group of young people from S2-S6, both white and of colour, were selected based on their interest in equality, diversity, and inclusion. I met with them to discuss the project, to determine if they were interested in being part of it, and to ask if there were any other young people they believed should be involved. To ensure they were empowered in their decision-making, the pupils were told they could leave the project at any time.
What we did
There were a few steps to put in place before the audit could begin. Firstly, completing a CRWIA (Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment). When the UNCRC (Incorporation Scotland) Bill becomes part of domestic law, children and young people’s voices in decision-making in aspects of society that impact them directly will become more important. Completing a CRWIA along with the pupils ensured their interests were placed at the centre of this approach.
"Staff and pupils worked together to audit the S1 and S2 courses, identifying where there were aspects of a decolonised curriculum and where there could be examples added and changes made."
Secondly, it was important to raise awareness of anti-racism through professional and pupil learning. Staff and pupils’ knowledge and understanding of racial literacy was developed using parts of HOWDEC’s ‘Anti-racist Educator Guide for Teachers’ and Scotdec’s ‘Anti-racist toolkit for teachers’. Thirdly, to enable discussion surrounding why the curricular audit was important, staff and pupils used ‘A Framework for Decolonising Global Issues’, adapted from: K.Pashby et al, ‘Teaching for Sustainable Development’. Finally, once time had been spent on the developing an understanding of the background information required, the auditing process began with all participants using Simon Breakspears’ auditing format for note-taking and planning. Only after those steps had been completed did the auditing of the courses begin.
As this was a “test of change” we decided to focus on two departments within the faculty: History and Modern Studies. Staff and pupils worked together to audit the S1 and S2 courses, identifying where there were aspects of a decolonised curriculum and where there could be examples added and changes made. The project’s evidence was used to inform changes within the History and Modern Studies BGE courses further developed during the final term of 2022-23.
Next Steps
This approach will be rolled out in session 2023-24 to include the remaining two departments within the faculty, Geography and RMPS. By the end of session 2023-24, S1-S3 across the faculty will have been audited and changes acted upon. As with this session, this has been included in both the school and faculty improvement plans. To ensure further inclusion and diversity within the faculty, the same approach will be utilised for other protected characteristics.
"Authentic pupil voice and participation was ensured throughout as they provided feedback on both the process and the curricular design."
Reflections
Reflections from staff and pupils illustrate a greater understanding of ant-racist education and the UNCRC. Through professional learning, co-creation working and encouraging young people to take the lead, practitioners provided an increasingly inclusive and diverse experience for learners while meeting their rights within the UNCRC framework. The use of self-evaluation developed an environment which promoted diversity and inclusion and met the entitlements of learners. Authentic pupil voice and participation was ensured throughout as they provided feedback on both the process and the curricular design. This in turn, helped to develop trust and respect across settings.
