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6 Summary and Recommendations

6.1 Phase 1 of this project sought to provide an assessment of the effectiveness and impact of the anti-racist toolkit website ²³ and the practice employed in schools and EAs to deal with RIs. The case studies, the analysis of the EA guidance and the postal survey provided a rich source of information and detailed insights into the current ways in which schools and EAs address this agenda.

6.2 This section will:

• summarise study findings;
• identify a number of recommendations that could promote and distribute good practice guidance and assist schools and EAs in developing a thorough understanding of how to identify and effectively tackle RIs;
• identify actions for phase 2 of this project.

Summary of Study Findings

Postal Survey

6.3 This highlighted that:

• 74% of respondents were aware of the anti-racist toolkit;
• 24% of respondents used the anti-racist toolkit website;
• 92% recorded RIs; the most common number of incidents between August 2003 and July 2004 was zero (62%);
• Primary schools are most likely not to record RIs or to record zero incidents.

Anti-racist Toolkit Website Analysis

6.4 This element of the project revealed that:

• it is a useful basic source of information;
• it requires significant updating to reflect policy and legislative changes since its creation in 2001;
• the role of the website as a toolkit requires the inclusion of more practical materials.

Process for Recording Incidents- EA Guidance

6.5 All 32 EAs pursued different approaches to recording RIs. However, there also seemed to be significant variations in the application of the guidance within authority areas which, in effect, has led to each school pursuing its own approach to recording and addressing RIs.

6.6 The links between the gaps in the guidance, which were identified in the desk based assessment, and the practice emerging during the case study visits was quite clear. The low importance attached to addressing this issue and recording RIs was evident in many schools, particularly where the 'not a problem here' was the prevailing view.

6.7 The ability and willingness to recognise RIs is also of concern and helps explain the under-reporting of RIs in schools. The majority considered the intention behind the incident as a determining factor (which can in effect downgrade unacceptable behaviour) and were at odds with an approach that centred on the person's perception of a racist incident. In addition there was a strong belief amongst some staff that the focus on formal reporting was a disincentive, particularly where there was a belief that it would result in further repercussions.

6.8 Other drawbacks identified included:

• non-reporting of incidents not being followed-up by EAs;
• reports of authority-wide figures not being published;
• limited action to analyse and respond to statistics, either directly or through the curriculum/pastoral system at EA and school level.

6.9 There was a handful of schools that were addressing RIs, but not necessarily in accordance with their EA's guidance. In these schools the head teacher and the SMT took a clear stance on tackling incidents and showed a commitment to taking preventative measures within the school to reinforce the unacceptability of racism. For example, the school's anti-racist approach was built into parental information leaflets and materials, involving parents of ME pupils in the planning or some school activities. These schools believed that this approach was effective in both preventing future RIs occurring and in addressing those which did.

6.10 Schools do not appear to be recording and monitoring RIs accurately and there is a need for more consistency across the country in the mechanisms used. It is not clear that current systems are entirely helpful, either at the school, authority or national level.

6.11 Without more creative use of examples, greater clarity on rationale and more focus on the impact on whole school activity, as required within the REP, there is a danger that the progress to date will be lost. This is because many teachers see the process as largely a form-filling exercise with no real positive outcomes or changes which occur as a result of recording RIs.

Support to Teachers and Access to Resources

6.12 The teaching profession, like many others, is still adjusting to the demands both of the changing society and the equality legislation. A regular theme for discussion during the case study visits centred on the issues of teacher confidence and competence. There remains a 'gulf' of trepidation which requires to be overcome. Together with an absence of purposeful and relevant learning materials, many teachers feel ill-equipped to address effectively the anti-racist agenda in the classroom.

6.13 There was very little awareness and even less reported use of the anti-racist toolkit website by schools participating in the case studies and responding to the postal survey. The website toolkit addresses the wider race equality issues, not simply RIs, and these materials need to be updated and developed to meet the requirements of staff working in very different school contexts and facing a range of diverse challenges. It needs to make links with the materials and resources that are available since its development. For example a re-worked toolkit could now be linked to the One Scotland Many Cultures website or the Scottish Schools Digital Network ( SSDN), being piloted in summer 2006.

6.14 The need for support systems and resources that are appropriate, comprehensive and effective for EA and school level action will require support at a national level. The role of SEED and HMIe will be crucial in achieving this, providing a renewed impetus to this agenda. The race equality agenda needs to become more 'alive', accessible and real to the classroom teacher, in particular.

Recommendations

6.15 The research in the first phase of this project has clearly identified that the current approaches in place to record and address RIs need to be improved and has highlighted areas where schools and EAs could benefit from more support and assistance. The following recommendations are proposed in response to the needs that have been identified.

6.16 Clear messages and expectations from SEED would start with a revised national standard for dealing with RIs in schools and associated guidance covering key areas such as rationale for recording incidents, definition, process, case studies, and parental involvement. Importantly, such guidance requires an emphasis on follow-up action, including review/evaluation.

6.17 Whilst this would not be statutory for all EAs and schools, HMIE would be able to assess local practice against the national standard.

6.18 The standard would complement any national monitoring system for racist incidents that might be developed by the Executive ²⁴.

6.19 This could be a 'state of the nation' approach, where SEED would recognise the significance of addressing racist behaviour and the importance of delivering anti-racist education. SEED would also acknowledge the likelihood of an increase in recorded RIs in schools with the introduction of the national standard and would underline the need for an approach that analyses data collected and makes plans for curriculum responses, where patterns or themes were emerging.

6.20 The role of HMIE was clearly appreciated and understood by all consultees and the fresh interest on the issue of race equality in schools was seen as providing a welcome focus for many teachers. HMIe involvement would bring a valuable perspective to the development of the standards and ensure that the five key areas ²⁵ that were highlighted in the HMIe report Promoting Race Equality: Making It Happen: are fully addressed.

6.21 The case studies revealed the scarcity of relevant teaching materials. Teachers were given very little assistance on the quality or availability of materials and relied, in most cases, on their own ability to identify resources. These were often outdated texts ( e.g. on South African apartheid) rather than ones that reflect the situations within today's society.

6.22 A common response from teaching staff during the case studies was the need for a variety of practical materials (lesson plans, videos, games, etc) that could be used with a range of pupil groups in settings where there are currently no ME pupils.

6.23 Schools need a simple but comprehensive guide to materials that are available and in which contexts they could be used; the synopsis could provide this compilation of current practical materials ²⁶.

6.24 The recent production of the Anti-Racist Curriculum for Glasgow: A PSD Approach for Primary Schools is an example of new Scottish material that builds on the work carried out by Glendale Primary School in Glasgow. This would be a useful resource for some schools but it is crucial that teaching materials are selected that complement the context and community in which the school operates. A 'one size fits all' package is neither suitable nor attractive to all school settings.

Phase 2 Activity

6.25 On the basis of the recommendations, a series of actions are proposed to take forward phase 2 of this project. These are:

• the development of national standards;
• the establishment of a practitioners' working group;
• further development of the anti-racist toolkit website

National Standards

6.26 A set of good practice national guidance would be produced that addresses the gaps and divergence within existing policies and offers a coherent and supportive set of materials that, at the very least, contain the following elements:

• a clear rationale - covering context, relevant legislation, national priorities and wider school policies, recognising the adverse impact that racism has on pupils both educationally and emotionally along with the wider school community; incident definition - basis of definition, what constitutes an incident, what it means in practice, the range of incidents and examples of how to handle them;
• process for recording and reporting incidents - development of a standard recording form with guidance about completion, and details on when and how to analyse, report and share the information within the school and beyond;
• preventative and reactive school action - guidance on the range of measures that should be taken when addressing incidents and wider school activity. This would include, for example, the lead taken by SMT and the methods by which the policy on racism could be communicated to staff, parents and pupils. In addition it could include guidance on the need for follow up action to be taken i.e. importance of reviewing/evaluating.

6.27 The national standard would also include a comprehensive briefing for EAs to address elements like assistance and guidance to schools, links with national standards and existing MARIM arrangements, use of Phoenix and clarify the position regarding incidents and repetition/intention.

6.28 The standard would be supplemented by additional supporting materials, ( e.g. a user-friendly guide on appropriate and inappropriate terminology) for various target groups like non-teaching staff, parents, and school boards. It could also attach a comprehensive guide to available teaching resources/materials.

Practitioners' Working Group

6.29 Phase 2 would establish a practitioners' working group ( PWG) that would be a point of reference and inform the development of the materials and guidance for the national standard as well as considering the practicalities of introducing revised systems or new practice into school and EA settings. The PWG would act in an advisory capacity and support the development of the national standards as well as lending credibility to the process.

6.30 The group would have regular input from other key contacts when necessary, e.g. representatives from other SEED funded projects, and would ideally consist of:

• an EA contact;
• a head teacher;
• a teacher;
• a non-teaching staff member;
• a parent;
• SEED contact;
• HMIe contact;
• YCL contact;
• teaching union contact;
• CRE or other "expert" contact.

6.31 The PWG's remit would be strongly grounded in addressing the practical elements to support how EAs and schools develop improved systems and outcomes to tackle RIs.

Future Development of the Anti-racist toolkit website

6.32 The areas for development of the website have been discussed in section 3 and low level of awareness and use of the resource by teachers is well documented from the case studies and the postal survey. The value of re-vitalising the toolkit, the feasibility of new materials being incorporated within the existing content and the possibility of making direct links with portals like One Scotland Many Cultures needs to be agreed in liaison with SEED and with greater knowledge of the dissemination of materials and information from projects 3, 4 and 5.

6.33 At this stage, it is proposed that consideration be given to a re-vitalised and re-branded anti-racist toolkit website that draws together materials from other projects and complements the dissemination plans for future SEED race equality work.

Summary

6.34 These actions would lead to the development of a well researched and practical set of resources and authoritative guidance to support schools and EAs to address racist behaviour and effectively tackle incidents. These actions are intentionally focused towards supporting EAs and schools to enhance their work in the race equality agenda, in a positive and meaningful way.

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