The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry highlighted the need for all bodies to address racial inequality. It was also the first to acknowledge the problem of institutionalised racism, which the 1999 Macpherson Report defined as, 'the collective failure of an organisation to provide an appropriate and professional service to people because of their culture, colour or ethnic origin. It can be seen or detected in processes, attitudes and behaviour which amount to discrimination through unwitting prejudice, ignorance, thoughtless and racist stereotype which disadvantage minority ethnic people'.
The Government's acceptance of the report's recommendations into the death of Stephen Lawrence and the implications for all public services, including education, has reinforced the responsibilities of all schools to eradicate racism and to value diversity. The report's impact on the Stephen Lawrence inquiry has greatly impact on the Race Relations Act 1976.
The Race Relations Act 2000 strengthens the original Act, and the Commission for Racial Equality has issued a draft statutory code of practice on the duty to promote race equality. It believes promoting race equality will improve public services, and its aim is to help public authorities provide a fair and accessible service, and to further promote equality of opportunities in employment.
This new code of practice came into effect on 31 May. As amended, Section 71(1) of the Race Relations Act 1976 places a general duty on public authorities in England, Scotland and Wales to promote race equality, ensuring that activities and functions are free of racial discrimination. This means they must now aim to eliminate unlawful racial discrimination, and promote both equality of opportunity and good relations between people from different racial groups.
The Commission says it is important that all public authorities make race a central part of their functions, such as planning, policy-making, service delivery, regulation, inspection, enforcement and employment.
The implications
The Race Relations Act 1976 imposes specific duties on most public authorities to help them identify and tackle racial discrimination, and promote equality of opportunity and good race relations.
For schools and early years settings, these specific duties include having to prepare and maintain a written statement of their race equality policy, to have arrangements in place in meeting their duties as soon as is reasonably possible, and to assess and monitor the impact of their policies, including race equality, on children, staff and parents from different groups, ascertaining in particular whether the policies have or could have an adverse impact on the attainment and progress of children from different racial groups.
The benefits
Fulfiling these duties will help to meet all children's needs and encourage them to achieve their full potential, as well as raise educational standards in the setting. It also enables specific action to be taken on differences in attainment and progress between racial groups, it can help create a positive and inclusive atmosphere based on respect for differences, and show commitment to challenging and preventing racism and discrimination.
Putting these duties into practice will also help prepare children to become full citizens in today's multi-ethnic society, and can make the setting more representative of the communities it serves, by employing more ethnic minority staff and making full use of their skills and knowledge.
The statutory Code of Practice on the Duty to Promote Race Equality - A Guide for Schools 2001 means schools and early years settings now have to ensure and demonstrate that race equality is paramount throughout all activities and policies already in place. Practitioners must also take into consideration that a written statement of race equality must be available and accessible.
The next move
It is important to ensure a race equality policy is in place. It should be a written statement linked to an action plan and could be part of the equal opportunity policy, but it must either be clearly identifiable and easily available, or a separate policy with a series of sections.
Ensure the policy is assessed and monitored, so that it enables practitioners to audit what has been achieved, as well as to help identify any gaps that may otherwise have gone unnoticed. Also, ensure all children have access to a broad and balanced curriculum, coupled with the use of appropriate resources depicting other cultures and differences. These need to be woven into the curriculum in a way that encourages them to respect and value differences and diversity.
Staff should also gain further knowledge and awareness of other cultures and differences. In order to work in partnership with parents and carers, and the local and wider communities, settings should also become familiar with the Learning for All document published by the Commission in 2000. This document, while linked to schools, can easily be adapted to meet the requirements of early years settings. It will enable them to comply with various legal requirements and ensure all children receive an appropriate multicultural curriculum.
It is fundamental that race equality begins at the start of the child's educational life. Early years practitioners have a duty and obligation to ensure the policy is in place and maintained.
The Learning for All document is available from the Commission for Racial Equality, Elliot House, 10-12 Allington Street, London SW1E 5EH (020 7828 7022, e-mailinfo@cre.gov.uk,website www.cre.gov.ukww).For more background information on the Act, visit the Home Office website at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/raceact/overview.htm.
Marcia Tatham is director of the Aswan Training Centre in Croydon, Surrey
