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Where are we in Wales with tackling the long-term effects of systemic racism? As educators in Wales, how can we enable and expect a shift from non-racist to anti-racist thinking amongst adults and children in our schools? The Welsh Government Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan states it aims to make all public bodies and our whole-Wales an anti-racist nation by 2030. COVID 19 lockdowns in 2020, seem like a distant memory, however, that significant time gave us quieter space sat at home to feel differently about our World. The racist murder of George Floyd in America focused global attention on the corrosive effects of racism. Being sat at home horrified was a catalyst for change for many.
Chantelle Haughton
Programme Director DARPL, National Teaching Fellow, Principal Lecturer.
Professor Charlotte Williams led the Welsh Government Ministerial Group reporting in March 2021 on recommendations for the New Curriculum for Wales to ensure the presence, contributions and cynefin for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people. Professor Williams spoke at The Anti-Racism UN Conference in Wales (2022) saying ‘The facts of racial inequality in the Welsh education system are now well evidenced. The attainment of children and young people from some Minority communities is being hampered by a curriculum which has failed to represent their histories, and the contributions of their communities, past and present. They are hampered by the lack of role models in an education workforce that does not adequately reflect the ethnically diverse profile of Wales and experiencing racism in their lives’. Being part of the group led by Professor Williams enabled us space to rigorously explore how the new curriculum brings an opportunity for significant change. Professional learning for leaders and teachers in education is key to realise this step-change for anti-racist education and a truly heartfelt shift in Wales. We know that in the past curricula in Wales and UK have been white-centric. Expectations for change in Wales alone aren’t enough. Commitments for change are needed in our everyday practice within our New Curriculum for Wales. This work is difficult, and it’s clear that many teachers feel unsure, petrified even as to how they tackle this emergency well in their work, they need to be fully supported and challenged in this expectation for real change.
Through the formation of the Welsh Government organisation DARPL (Diversity, Anti-Racist Practice, and Professional Learning) a dynamic coalition of experts with a range of lived and professional experiences, tasked with impacting this vital work for step-change from non-racist to Anti-Racist Wales through free high-quality professional learning for every educator in Wales.
DARPL Project Director, with members of the DARPL Project:
Working within the Ministerial Working Group led by Professor Williams, it clearly struck me expert stakeholders, community mentors sharing lived and professional experience to inform the report published in March 2021, needed to be supported to remain part of this national conversation, enabling a whole-country approach to professional learning for our leaders and teachers across Wales. Through the formation of the Welsh Government organisation DARPL (Diversity, Anti-Racist Practice, and Professional Learning) a dynamic coalition of experts with a range of lived and professional experiences, tasked with impacting this vital work for step-change from non-racist to Anti-Racist Wales through free high-quality professional learning for every educator in Wales. Over the past academic year, Team DARPL have worked with many educators in live sessions and events, this embryonic work continues to grow. We’re in the early stages of developing our ‘Virtual Campus’, more resources, live series and events will be coming out throughout the new academic year. Some thoughtful blogs from teachers involved in DARPL can be read here.
‘For there is always light if only we’re brave enough to see it, if only we’re brave enough to be it’.
Amanda Gorman
This isn’t easy work for our mainly white education workforce in Wales, but in that space is where the real change can be realised. Only 1,066 teachers of over 35,000 teachers in Wales are registered as coming from diverse backgrounds, only 15 leaders, only seven head-teachers (EWC, 2019). In allyship we need sustained courageous conversations embedded with professional learning and change for every teacher and education leader in Wales to tackle environmental, curriculum and workforce change. Team DARPL are a phenomenal group, after working online together for over a year through the COVID 19 pandemic tackling the epidemic of racism, a few weeks ago DARPL practitioners travelled from their corners across the country to come together for a day in Tiger Bay. Our first team-meeting in a ‘real room’ was full of emotion and tears, charged with personal stories, hopeful examples and critical expectations and vision in work. We’ve started to make strong strides together but this day being ‘really-together’ set our sight for our one-Wales approach. In this heart-work Team DARPL offer support, challenge, knowledge, critical consultation, partnership, inspiration, professionalism and creativity.
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