Why an inclusive curriculum matters
Inclusion is vital to dialogue about race and religion in our society. Because it is so important, it is essential to avoid tokenism. Tokenism is detrimental to inclusivity; we know, for example, that racism seriously impacts mental health and that individuals who feel tokenised leave education as a result.
Confidence in talking about race
What do we really mean when we say that are we trying to meet the needs of all learners? Do we have the voices of those with the lived experiences sitting round the decision-making table to discuss these ‘needs’? To encourage critical thinking, this involves exploring different viewpoints, including the views of people from ethnically minoritised backgrounds.
I worry that, with the best of intentions, this ambition could get lost in conversation if we don’t address the problem of the lack of confidence in talking about race. The Great Representation programme, which over 150 school leaders across Hertfordshire have participated in, showcases excellent examples of how schools have worked to achieve greater racial equity over the past three years.[1]
To achieve an inclusive curriculum, we should bring a diverse group of people with a broad range of lived experiences to the table. This group should be diverse in socioeconomic background, race, religion, marital status, education, gender, sexual orientation, neurodiversity, disability and upbringing.
This will allow for more innovative and engaging debate, but to be truly inclusive, as Rachel MacFarlane has said: ‘much attention [will have been] given to the language used by members of the school community. Staff will have given time and serious thought to an examination of the complexities, nuances messages and meanings conveyed by the words that are used around protected characteristics, inclusion and diversity.’[2]