Racism in Education

Fifty years ago, racism was an extremely controversial topic that wasn’t such a light issue or an everyday conversational topic as it today but rather a sensitive subject that could be attacking ones cultural values, beliefs and even their appearance. Today, it seems that racism has become an issue that is only offensive when you’ve been attacked but a ‘joke’ when you’re the one that’s attacking the victim and their beliefs. Our society has been so exposed to gender racism, religious racism and physical racism that we have become desensitised to and something that we take as ‘normal’. 

One of the most central places you would find racism, is the educational environment. The school playground can be seen as a battlefield where individuals of common and different ethnicities come together with their opinions and values. According to an article published in the Sydney Morning Herald, it was estimated that “more than two thirds of young people are the victims of racism at school”. It is without a doubt that racism is a growing concern within Australian schools, especially with it being one of the most multicultural countries in the world. Unfortunately, it is common to see young adults throwing derogatory terms at one another whether it is done consciously or not and something that has become accepted as a norm. As a result there are common situations where racism leads to tension and division amongst cultural groups and creates an unending cycle of discrimination and abusive attitude to a certain ethnicity.

The infamous video of the ‘race hate’ video that caused an uproar in 2007 is one of the many examples that looks at the escalating problem of racism not only within Australian schools but within Australia. The following video became viral as images of Australia in the Lebanese flag with the caption “under new management” scribbled across it made from students attending an all boys schools situated in the south-west of Sydney. It is believed that the students had also made this video in revenge to the attacks of the  ‘Cronulla Riots ‘ of 2005.

This is an example of some of the forms of racism evident in our society and what the students are exposed to. As a result, for the students being attacked it may lead to a rejection and hatred of their own culture, depression and eventually pulling out from the suffocating school environment. It is essential that schools take action against all forms of racial abuse as it not only effects the individual but also generates divisions amongst cultural groups .

Dr.Lucas, the head of the Foundation for Young Australians addressed the issue of racism in the education environment as he states that “schools are not just sites of racism but also a positive place to address it”. It is crucial that students are surrounded by leaders and those that will have a positive influence on them and teach them what is right and wrong. I believe that it isn’t wrong to confront students who take racism lightly so they learn to grow as a more cultured, accepting and open-minded individual.

Refrence:

Perkins.M, “Schools a hotbed of Racism:study”, date accessed: 27/10/2013 , http://www.smh.com.au/national/schools-a-hotbed-of-racism-study-20091118-imk8.html