“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”
Anti Racism
NewVIc stands against racism
NewVIc stands against racism in all its forms. We aim to ensure that all our students leave college with a strong sense of what it means to be a good citizen and can use their voice and education to make the world a better place for everyone.
In solidarity of our community, we have created this page to encourage dialogue, raise awareness and to help understand how we can all do more to stand against racism.
As a college, we have always sought to create a sense of belonging for our most marginalised and under-represented students. Any form of discrimination is absolutely opposed to our values wherever it takes place in the world. Each of us must understand how racialised privilege operates in our society, and be bold in calling it out.
We will continue to work hard to ensure this happens.
Black FE Leadership Group
We stand ready to play our full part, as leaders, as expert practitioners and as role models to enable the FE system to ‘step up’ to its responsibility for addressing racial inequality. We seek to work in partnership with sector colleagues to address these challenges by supporting and implementing the Black FE Leadership Group (BFELG) 10 Point Plan and Diagnostic Toolkit.
Curriculum
A radical revision of FE curricula and qualifications to reflect contemporary British values, incorporating the importance of colonial history and its influence on society, historically and now; the impact of racism on black and white communities; the contributions made by black people to society.
Culture
All teacher training, professional development and leadership programmes to include, as a central component, the consideration of racial equality; and for teacher training, the inclusion of anti-racist pedagogy.
All Colleges to annually publish student performance, staff and governor profile data by ethnicity, including actions to address identified gaps.
All regulatory bodies, funders and membership groups to publish workforce, leadership and governance profile data by ethnicity, including actions to address gaps.
All sectoral committees, boards or advisory groups established to address racism and inequalities to be led by and made up of those with real insight of these issues, or expertise in these areas.
Climate
College recruitment processes, including the deployment of recruitment companies, to proactively address imbalances in the diversity of leadership at all levels.
Ofsted and other quality assurance bodies to evaluate the effectiveness of pedagogy and curriculum practice in promoting race equality, alongside strategies to address attainment gaps through college inspections reports and their own annual reports.
The FE Commissioner’s annual report, diagnostic assessments and structural reviews to include data on BAME leaders, managers and governors against the profile of college student populations and local demographics.
FE regulatory bodies, development organisations and unions to collaborate with colleges to design and implement a common framework to share best practice in the advancement of racial literacy and justice across all modes of learning.
Communications
All organisations with an investment in FE (whether statutory, regulatory, representative or commercial) to ensure fair and positive treatment of BAME students, staff and communities, in terms of optics, content and impact.
Open letter to address systemic racism in further education
Open letter to: Rt. Hon. Boris Johnson, Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Gavin Williamson MP, Secretary of State for Education, funders of further education colleges; regulatory bodies & further education membership bodies.
“No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin or his background or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”
