Diversity in Scottish Education: Children and Young People’s views on diversity and anti-racism approaches in Scottish Education

Children in Scotland worked with the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) and Intercultural Youth Scotland (IYS) on a project which focused on diversity in Scottish education, specifically around race, with a view to supporting supporting greater diversity and an anti-racism approach in the teaching profession.

The project engaged with children and young people from across Scotland to hear their views and experiences of diversity and racism in Scottish education, including the curriculum.

This made sure education in Scotland included and represented everyone living in Scotland and supported teachers to put into practice the professional values of social justice, integrity, trust and respect highlighting equality and recognition of diversity as positive factors in their everyday teaching lives.

In November and December 2020 our national panel of children and young people met online to share their opinions on lots of aspects of life in Scottish schools.

From April-June 2021 three schools piloted a resource, developed with input from the national panel, to garner more of an insight into children and young people’s experiences, opinions and suggestions. IYS supported the school staff to deliver this by delivering anti-racism training. Intercultural Youth Scotland also carried out similar work with a youth group of their Young Ambassadors.

The pilot was extended to more schools across Scotland and ran January until May 2022.

The children and young people involved addressed the challenges they and adults experience around ethnic diversity. Their voices formed recommendations for GTCS on how to support teachers, schools and education leaders to be anti-racist and make sure education in Scotland supported and included all.