WHEN IT comes to education in the UK ‘the current system is failing children from ethnic minorities,’ says footballer Troy Deeney.
Birmingham City FC Captain, Deeney’s high profile campaign to make the teaching of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic histories and experiences mandatory in the school curriculum will be featured in a new sixty-minute documentary to be aired next month on Channel 4 and produced by SBX Studios.
Frustrated by the lack of diversity taught in schools and the impact it is having on pupils, Deeney wrote an open letter to the Secretary of State for Education, set up a public petition – which has now surpassed 50,000 signatures – and commissioned a YouGov survey.
The YouGov survey of 1000 primary and secondary school teachers from across Britain found that only 12 per cent of teachers said they felt empowered to teach ‘optional’ black related topics.
“As the proud father of four children, three of which are currently in the education system, this topic has moved front and centre in my life,” Deeney enthused.
“I have seen more and more how important it is for my children to be able to see themselves represented in what they are being taught and learn about the contribution and background of people who look like them,” says Deeney.
“The current system is failing children from ethnic minorities and over the past 18 months nearly 400,000 people have signed petitions calling for changes to be made to mandate more diversity in the national curriculum, yet the teaching of diversity in schools still remains optional and the government’s stock response has been that it is down to teachers and schools to teach them,” he says.
“The importance of education at an early age to inform identity and combat racist beliefs and stereotypes cannot be understated.”
His Open Letter to the Rt Hon Nadhim Zahawi, Secretary of State for Education has led to a meeting. Deeney and Zahawi discuss the future actions and potential solutions necessary to make real change.
The documentary not only recounts Deeney’s own troubled schooling experiences with his family, but also meetings with prominent contributors such as boxer Anthony Joshua, actor David Harewood MBE, ex-footballer and pundit Micah Richards, musicians Big Narstie and DJ Cuppy and MP Layla Moran, as well as young activists campaigning for change, teachers and pupils in schools around the country and voices of strong opposing views.
“I have met some amazing people throughout this journey who have made it their lives work to make real change in this area. I have been inspired and enlightened and this is just the start of this journey,” says Deeney.
Channel 4’s Commissioning Editor Joe Blake-Turner says: “Troy Deeney & SBX Studios have embarked on a project that has the power to transform education in this country and have a really positive long-term impact on society.”
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WHEN IT comes to English education ‘the current system is failing,’ Her Majesty’s Subjects of African-heritage says footballer Troy Deeney.
No, Mr Deeley. It is not the education system that is failing Her Majesty’s Subjects of African-heritage.
England’s African-heritage infants; pupils and youths are being failed by their parents: by the community in which they live, by public profile African-heritage men and women who ignore the rank-and-file needs of England’s African-heritage Subjects, by the failure of African-led churches to be far more visionary and of practical assistance to African-heritage people of faith and those with little faith.
It is not acceptable to blame teachers and the education system.
Blaming teachers and the education system removes all moral and ethical responsibility from parents and the local community, and African-heritage people in public office.
Akala reports the existence of 150 African Caribbean Saturday School in England until the mid-1908s.
These Saturday school are desperately needed today.
Her Majesty Subjects of African-heritage should not expect teachers to be responsible for teaching African-heritage pupils their history!
African-heritage people need to group fund the resources to teach their children the long and ancient history of African people.
African-heritage people must not blame their children’s African-history ignorance on schools’ teachers.
The blame for our children’s historical; cultural and political ignorance rests entirely on the parents and community minded people in African-heritage areas.
How long will England’s African-heritage adults continue to act and behave like disempowered infants?
Good idea.
I suggest the scope needs to be widened. We are talking about millions of years of the human story as it migrated out of Africa. Across the Arabian Sea to ‘modern day Russia and China.
Prof. Alice Roberts conducted a scientific study that confirms all humans have specific DNA that traces back to Africa and this early migration. This includes all white peoples.
So in fact there is no pre-history. Space and time is one single continuation (Albert Einstein). If you consider aspects of this human migration you will discover the transformation of the black skin turning into white skin due to the lack of direct sunlight during the time of hibernation deep in the dark caves in Russia and China.
This process occurred over thousand of years. And yet it is not freely discussed. I believe this is the genesis of racism and one of the main reasons why the human story has been hidden and mis-told. Its time to face the facts.
Leon