Classroom racism and missed opportunities

Like many people in England this week, I have watched with horror as an anti-immigration party  almost won a by- election. Post election analysts can give you a million reasons why it happened: 

-UKIP  has a strong, clear message while the other parties appear wishy-washy and unfocused. 

-In times of recession we like to blame anyone who is a minority for stealing " our," jobs. We look to someone to stop this from happening.

 -With our benefits system about to collapse under the strain of increasing unemployment and life expectancies, everyone is panicking that another influx of immigrants will be the last straw.

I am not sure why people voted the way they did.   I am not a political analyst. But  I am scared. 

Scared that my mix-raced children will grow up in a country where they are not welcome.

Scared that a society, rich in ethnic diversity and constantly celebrating differences, is about to become divided and charged with hatred.

Scared that when a seed of racism or prejudice is planted in the classroom, it is left unchallenged.

Because often in England, at least, it is ignorance and lack of understanding rather than first hand experience that creates racism and prejudice.

Last week my 15 year old daughter was in a class where they were looking at photos of babies.  

" Eugh," said one of the girls, pulling a face, " Look at that ugly Pakki baby."

What I cannot forgive about  the incident, is not what was said, ignorant and unpleasant as it was, but how it was dealt with.  Or at least how my daughter perceived it to be dealt with.  According to her, the teacher said:

" Please don't say that, it's racist, now go and sit down."

The teacher has assured me since that she spoke to the girl afterwards and also to her parents and that what my daughter told me is not completely what was said.  And perhaps this is true, I will never know and nor will any of the girls in the class. In front of the class, the girl received a gentle reprimand for a holding a fundamentally racist view.  And instead of seizing the moment and using it as a learning opportunity for everyone, the teacher let it go almost unchallenged. 

Teaching is a hard job. It is target driven and result orientated and the pressure is immense.  All that you can truly do, as a teacher,  is hope to inspire a love of learning and open eyes so that children become hungry to know more.  Moments when you can truly help children to think about what they believe, question what they hear and become independent thinkers are few and far between. But if those moments are not seized upon the result is the perpetuation of ignorance and an unquestioning belief in whatever those around you, family or friends,  are telling you.

If views are not challenged in the classroom, what hope is there for the future?

When my daughter was maybe 3, she was sitting on my lap, in the kitchen, watching a group of her friends playing while us mums enjoyed a few minutes of shared adult conversation. Suddenly my daughter sat up straighter, the way she always did when she was going to say something.

" You're all the odd ones out," she announced, " because I'm brown and you're all white!"

And I remember thinking, all those years ago, " I hope you never stop believing that."