Sheffield Council leader responds to accusation of “systemic and institutional racism in the education system”

Coun Tom Hunt was speaking in response to questioning by two members of a group of young women of colour who attended a meeting of the council’s strategy and resources policy committee (July 13), which he chairs.

A section of meetings allows members of the public to ask questions they have submitted in advance.

Last month the group challenged the council’s education, children and families policy committee to do more to protect teachers and school students of colour from discrimination.

They pointed in particular to problems faced by women in school senior leadership teams.

One of the group, Fatima, said they had not heard what action had been taken in response to their previous questions, leading them to question how seriously the council was taking their concerns.

Coun Hunt replied that the city council takes the findings of the Sheffield Race Equality Commission very seriously, which last year highlighted issues that need to be tackled to make Sheffield into an anti-racist city. He said all the action that has been taken so far will be discussed at an extraordinary meeting of the committee on August 2.

He apologised that the group had not been updated on what had happened since they questioned the education committee.

He said council director of strategic children’s services, Meredith Dixon Teasdale, and training organisation Learning Sheffield had written to all schools.

Racialised

They offered an open invitation to all school leaders, in particular leaders of colour, to speak to them about any issues and any barriers they face in the progression of their careers.

He said that more than 15 people have been in touch and Ms Dixon Teasdale is setting up a small working group to put together an action plan.

Learning Sheffield is also working on encouraging diversity on school governing bodies and boards of trustees, as well as targeting an increase in governors and trustees aged 30 and under.

Questioner Sara asked: “Do the members of Sheffield City Council recognise that they are contributing to systemic and institutional racism in the education system?”

Coun Hunt replied: “When the report came out just over a year ago, the commission set out very clearly the way in which the education system is racialised and it did make a number of recommendations for change across all aspects of the city’s education system, from leadership, management, racial literacy across the education workforce, to specific recommendations around exclusions and early years provisions.

“This does have very important implications for councillors and so as members it’s important for all of us to understand our role within this and to do everything we can to progress with colleagues, collectively and individually, moving forward with purpose to becoming an anti-racist organisation.”

Under-representation

Coun Hunt also said monitoring of the council workforce shows that the number of employees identifying as BAME has risen to 16.6 per cent from 15.7 per cent last year, which is not fully representative of the city’s diversity. He said BAME staff are also under-represented in professional and management grade roles.

Fatima told him the group had posted clips of their last appearance “that kind of blew up”. Their questions were prompted by responses they had received from Sheffield teachers of colour.

She said: “They feel that they’re not protected by you guys or by their school governors or by leadership positions.”

She said they also asked what the council is doing to decolonise the school curriculum “to allow black and brown students to feel represented”. Coun Hunt responded that Ms Dixon Teasdale is setting up a working group with school leaders, including school leaders of colour, to look at that issue.

He said it was clear from the discussion that students need to have input.

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