If educators are serious about challenging racism within contemporary society, they must consider how education systems progress diversity in the profession and anti-racist praxis for social change, rather than complicity in maintaining the status quo that undermines diversity in ideas, knowledge and experience.
This symposium includes four papers which demonstrate work in progress in Scotland to support the recruitment, retention and progression of Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) teachers, and to progress racial literacy and leading for anti-racism across the profession.
Paper One discusses the impact of the SAMEE Leadership and Mentoring programme designed for BME teachers. The programme provides safe, positive spaces for BME teachers to acknowledge their experiences, affirm their skills and competencies, define actions to support career progression and develop into race-cognisant advocates.
Paper Two discusses the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS, 2024) Sponsoring for Diversity in Teacher Progression strategy, a new call to action in Scottish education with a key focus on supporting BME teachers’ career progression, through spotlighting, networking and advocacy.
Paper Three reflects on the impact of the national Building Racial Literacy (BRL) programme for Scottish educators. BRL promotes anti-racism as a baseline professional value, empowering educators to understand, identify and implement racial literacy and anti-racist behaviours and processes in their thinking and practice.
Paper Four presents the rationale, andragogy and early impact of Leading Anti-Racism (LAR), a partnership between a university and a school district, with participants from both contexts in the same learning space. LAR aims to deepen personal and professional understanding of race, racism and the concept and practice of leading (for) anti-racism.
The discussant will draw on each paper to explore challenges and opportunities, to diversify the profession and to realise the potential for our teaching workforce to understand and challenge racism and its multiple manifestations.
