Zahra Bei|Helen Knowler|Jabeer Butt
How do we progress racial justice in education?
school exclusion systemic racism offrolling yet another example attention diverted away exclusionary practices denying children access highquality education historically use illegal school exclusion effectively denial right education tactic used us states 1960s 1970s maintain racist structures systems even abolition segregated education black pupils pushed school apparently poor school performance repeated minor behaviour infractions suggestions school right place attend4 england around time bernard coard published groundbreaking pamphlet west indian child made educationally subnormal british school system scandal black child schools britain 1971 galvanised black parents educationalists action decades followed spurring growth black supplementary schools movement form selfhelp way fight racial discrimination5 coard exposed ways immigrant children disproportionately moved special schools following racially biased assessments educational needs6 addition authorities misled black parents believing placements would enhance education children time coards writing around 34 per cent school population socalled educationally subnormal esn schools black caribbean backgrounds knowledge turn led famous sin bin campaigns 1970s 1980s demonstrating racial injustices writ large exclusionary practices education generated grassroots activism going back 50 years even words offrolling used7 today offrolling continues significant damage disappointing fact review led obfuscation rather illumination meaning offrolling likely continuing even throughout covid19 pandemic timpson analysis problematic confirm black caribbean boys girls likely others permanently excluded school statistically significant association yet used review explain ratio high raw data subjectively interpreted part case inaction whether ratio high raw data result still statistically significant follows racial discrepancies exclusions implication unofficial exclusions explained racial discrimination underplay importance statistically significant results point impact racial discrimination deeply problematic offrolling brought sharp focus 2019 following ofsted blog analysis unexplained exits 2019 education policy institute report particular exclusionary practice resulted entanglement range competing policy initiatives school performance policies austerity pressures inclusion policies1415 appears happen secondary schools primary schools evident year 11 census data however machin sandi argue precursors exclusionary practices lead offrolling seen early year 916 offrolling identified becomes apparent offrolled children young people drop disengage 49101 students school cohort set completed year 11 2017 disappeared school rolls explanation given fifty years coards seminal book denial school education black children organisations exclusions still calling basic right education enacted learners behaviour hubs answer stopping offrolling forms potentially illegal exclusions establishment national helpline parents children young people illegality suspected could shift dialogue overcome issue helpline kind could maintain register advocate support accompany parents secure best education child offer basic legal advice school exclusion legal remedies substitute policy change parents carers us kind legal literacy support success overturning illegal pushout practices offrolling exclusionary practices wider impacts housing health welfare criminal justice employment policy significant trade unions21 think tanks22 activists23 mental health practitioners2425 campaigning moratorium exclusions context covid19 pandemic systemic conditions institutionally racist cultures policies practices legitimise exclusionary practices transformed able say conviction every black child britain remain higher risk leaving mainstream education prematurely worst outcomes back door zahra bei secondary pupil referral unit pru teacher 20 years experience classroom currently ucl institute education phd student researching school exclusions racism education special educational needs disabilities send zahra member black educators alliance bea one cofounders coalition antiracist educators care cofounder exclusions nme helen knowler researcher lecturer university exeter work focuses permanent exclusion school currently exploring policy impacts offrolling exclusionary practices implications practitioners worked advisory teacher classroom teacher leads national award sen coordination exeter jabeer butt chief executive race equality foundation jabeer researched written extensively racial inequality care health jabeer provides leadership strengthening families strengthening communities parent education initiative foundation jabeer marmot advisory group supporting sir michael marmot production recent report social determinants health inequalities currently coinvestigator 13 million nihr funded extension viruswatch study focussing covid19 bame communities led professor robert aldridge university college london