Relevant quality indicator: QI 5.6 Equality and fairness
"Mental, physical and emotional well-being of young people are essential preconditions for successful learning. These qualities cannot be developed for individuals in isolation from the health and well-being of the school community as a whole."13
"It is necessary to dare to say that racism is a curable disease. It is necessary to dare to speak of difference as a value and to say that it is possible to find unity in diversity."
Dancing with bigotry D Macedo and L Bartoleme
"Nothing is more terrible than to see ignorance in action."
Goethe
Improving Scottish Education identified strengths across Scottish education in terms of ethos, relationships and equality and fairness. It notes that in recent years, schools have increased their emphasis on citizenship and involving young people in decision making. Some have used curriculum inserts to explore issues such as citizenship and the law or anti-racism. However, practice is uneven within and across schools. Pupils need to have sufficient knowledge and well-developed thinking skills to develop a deep understanding of issues relating to values and citizenship.
Promoting positive relationships within a learning, caring and inclusive school community
Successful promotion of inclusion, diversity and equality depends on schools having whole-school approaches which in turn have an anti-sectarian dimension. Hill’s Trust Primary School, Glasgow City Council, and Edinbarnet Primary School, West Dunbartonshire Council, are both examples of schools which have promoted equality and fairness, including race equality and anti-sectarianism through classroom experiences, extra-curricular activities and specific projects. Teachers actively promoted racial and religious equality and celebrated the diversity in pupils’ cultural backgrounds. Both schools worked with other schools and agencies. For example, pupils from Hill’s Trust worked on an anti-sectarian project with a local denominational school and Edinbarnet worked with Strathclyde Police on an initiative to combat sectarianism. In Breasclete Primary School, Eilean Siar, equality and fairness were also key features of the school’s work and pupils showed respect and tolerance for each other. In particular, they had a very good understanding of anti-racism, anti-sectarianism and respect for religious and cultural diversity.
Staff at Abercorn School, a special school in Glasgow, had carried out an equality audit and identified strengths and areas for development in preparation for their plans to extend their work in promoting equality and fairness. The school displayed a number of posters challenging racism and homophobia and some pupils had been successful in the national awards for Show Racism the Red Card.
As well as promoting positive approaches to health and well-being, schools encouraged pupils’ involvement in wider issues and engaged with campaigning and charitable work linked to equality, diversity and fairness.
St Michael’s Primary School in Parkhead in Glasgow had worked successfully in developing pupils’ understanding of equality issues, including race equality. Its approaches included discussions about fair trade, work on anti-sectarianism and fund-raising for charities at home and abroad. In Greenfield Primary School in Govan, pupils in P7 had been involved in a project with Strathclyde Police about anti-sectarianism. They responded well to this project and had developed a good understanding of the problem of sectarianism in football.
In the services linked to Fallside School, North Lanarkshire staff promoted a strong sense of equality and fairness and took steps to promote racial equality through discussion and displaying posters. The personal and social education programme covered issues of tolerance and respect, as well as bullying and sectarianism. Staff ensured that any inappropriate remarks were picked up, challenged and discussed with the pupils to develop better social skills. The religious and moral education course developed pupils’ awareness of the diversity of beliefs and practices in the world, and pupils were encouraged to discuss issues and develop their own values.
Issues to consider |
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Signposts for improvement |
Promotes well-being and respect
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