Campaigners are raising concerns that schools and colleges in England are failing to meet their legal obligations to address and prevent racism. They are calling for the national curriculum to include an explicit focus on anti-racism and make Black history a mandatory subject.
A coalition of youth-focused organizations has sent a letter to the Prime Minister, stating, “Racism is holding all young people back,” and urging immediate action to mitigate the impacts of this growing issue. The letter emphasizes the government’s upcoming curriculum review, scheduled to report next year, as an opportunity to incorporate diverse, anti-racist content for a more inclusive educational experience.
The coalition also highlights the insufficiency of current legislative support for anti-racist practices in schools and has requested a meeting with Keir Starmer to discuss additional measures to support young people affected by racism. Their recommendations include implementing a whole-school strategy to combat racism, requiring schools to develop action plans to address racial inequality under proposed race equality legislation, and treating racism as a safeguarding issue. They also call for the Department for Education (DfE) to issue anti-racism guidance to ensure consistent application across institutions.
