As the Black Lives Matter movement focuses attention on the actions of politicans both local and national it is worth looking at the historical context. Thirty years ago the Council launched the above video. Having been pilloried by the press as 'Barmy Brent', Brent Council tried
to put the record straight with this film of the work the council was
undertaking in the borough. A young journalist, instructed to get a story
reinforcing the stereotypes, discovers something quite different. The section on the Development Programme for Educational Attainment and Racial Equality (DPEARE) starts at 6.33.
One of the main targets of the right-wing press was what they called 'Race Spies' (DPEARE), advisers sent into schools to help them develop the curriculum and learning strategies to improve the quality of education and race equality:
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| Mail on Sunday October 19th 1986 |
The BBC made a notorious Panorama programme, Brent Schools - Hard Left Rules (30.3.87) that took up the Mail's theme and All London Teachers Against Racism and Fascism tried to set the record straight:
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| Altarf Newsleter May1987 |
More than 30 years on the Brent Youth Parliament has challenged Brent Council on its response to the Black Lives Matters movement.
These are the questions and responses tabled for next Monday's Council Meeting.
Question
from Brent Youth Parliament to Councillor Muhammed Butt, Leader of the Council
1.As a
body that not only represents black communities but also many other BAME
communities, does the council feel obligated to speak up on the matter? Is it
simply enough to show purple lights to condemn the killing of George Floyd? On
behalf of young people in the borough we are concerned that there has been no
talk of action that can be taken to support BLM, even though this movement has
highlighted the prevalence of systemic racism in the UK.
2. Brent’s
communities are very diverse and some themselves do not think about the way
they treat black people. Prevalent issues such as colourism in the Asian
communities often cause such discrimination. As representatives of these
communities would you call upon various ethnic minorities within Brent to
consider their treatment of black people?
Questions
1 & 2: Communities in Brent, one of
the most diverse boroughs in the country, continue to be affected by
inequalities and require decisive and urgent action by the Council and
partners.
In the context of global and local challenges
and events the Council met with 72 black community leaders and representatives
on 11 June to listen to concerns and take decisive action to make improvements
for residents. In partnership with the black community leaders the Council has
created the Black Lives Matter Action Plan and it is a demonstration of the
council’s commitment to making long lasting changes for the Black communities
of Brent.
The
council wants to show respect, support and solidarity to our black community in
Brent and that we are a borough where there is no place for racism and where
equality and diversity are respected.
3. Moving
forward, in order to create change, would the council consider reviewing the
education system in Brent? As many schools in Brent are Academies, does this
not allow the council some leverage and encourage schools to implement the
teaching of Black history?
Brent
young people are our future. The Council has a leadership role, in partnership
with schools and colleges and a successful track record of working together to
deliver good and outstanding education. As an example of the impact of this
partnership approach, a project commissioned by the Council and started in 2018
has helped raise the achievement of boys of Black Caribbean Heritage. The most
recent (2018/19) achievement data shows significant narrowing of gaps between
the attainment of boys of Black Caribbean heritage and all pupils at Key Stage
2. In reading, writing and mathematics combined there has been an improvement
of 16pcp representing a remarkable 70 per cent fall in the size of the gap. For
the youngest children, there was a significant reduction in gaps for the end of
the Early Years Foundation Stage. At Key Stage 4 for older children there was
also an improvement, with the gaps between boys of Black Caribbean heritage and
all pupils down from 12 percentage points to 8 percentage points.
We
will continue to work with schools to encourage the teaching of black history.
Brent Council has provided Brent schools with support to help them develop
their curricula, for example, as part of Brent’s London Borough of Cultures
2020 programme, an education programme has been co-created with school leaders
and young people, to help connect children and young people creatively with
their local area, their heritage and their hopes for the future. Brent Council
will build on this work to continue to influence and promote the teaching of
black history in Brent schools.
Many
of our schools offer excellent examples of the teaching of black history. Good
practice examples include our schools which have been awarded the United
Nations Rights Respecting Schools Award and schools complementing the national
curriculum with the United Nations global sustainable development goals to
reduce inequality and to promote inclusive societies and institutions.
For those Brent schools which are academies,
it is correct to say that they have some further flexibilities in setting their
curriculum as they do not have to follow the national curriculum. Once schools
and colleges have fully opened in the autumn, the Council, along with the Brent
Schools Partnership, will be discussing the development of curricula with
schools, to stimulate the positive teaching of black history in Brent schools.
4. Would
the council consider commissioning a project to express black injustice in a
creative way such as a Mural, similar to the one dedicated to the Grunwick
strike, in order to remind those that come into the borough that we not only
recognise black injustice but as a result we are dedicated to correcting the
situation?
The
council supports the idea of creating a mural in the borough to express black
injustice and is willing to explore this idea.
5. Finally,
how is the council planning on reaching young people in Brent that may be
isolated or marginalised to reassure them about the council's position on the
black lives matter movement?
We are
committed to young people having a voice. In close consultation with local
black community leaders/representatives, including young people, the Council
has put together a Brent Black Community Action Plan setting out steps that
will be taken to ensure we can help make improvements for local residents. The
action plan includes an explicit commitment “to engage with young black people
in the borough in settings and ways that are convenient for them. Treating
young people as stakeholders with a voice.” Actions being taken include the
following:
· The Council is collaborating with Young Brent
Foundation to produce a series of podcasts exploring issues and concerns for
young people in relation to the BLM movement and the impact of Covid-19 in the
borough. The podcast will be designed to engage with young people, particularly
those from BAME communities, through a series of conversations designed to
encourage meaningful and constructive responses to BLM in their localities.
· We recently commissioned a special ‘Time to Talk
Covid-19’, phone-in radio show with The Beat London to discuss why the BAME
community is so disproportionately affected by Covid-19. The panel included a
Brent Councillor, a community leader and a young person and aired during prime
time to reach a large proportion of the young BAME community. We plan to
continue working with The Beat London as one of our main channels for two-way
engagement with young people in Brent around BLM issues.
The
Council see Brent Youth Parliament as a crucial part of reaching young people
in Brent who may feel marginalised, to reassure young people as to the
Council’s actions and to give more young people the opportunity to have a
voice, as you have so creditably done today
Elsewhere on the July 13th Council Meeting Agenda the Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee notes:
The
cancellation of the 22 April meeting meant a report on School Standards and
Achievement Report 2018-19, including Action Plan for Raising Achievement of
Boys of Black Caribbean Heritage, could not be discussed; however, the chair
has committed to rescheduling it along with the deferred items in the 2020/2021
work plan to be presented to Council in September.
