We, the undersigned, call upon Dulwich College to:
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Acknowledge the failure to protect and nurture Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) students.
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Detail a sustained effort, beyond the suggestions contained herein, to tackle the issues we have raised.
Introduction
Recent events around the Black Lives Matter movement have opened a national debate about racism within our society. Institutions of all kinds, including schools, are confronting their complicity in the neglect of ethnic minorities. As Black alumni of Dulwich College, we felt compelled to contact the school to highlight the steps that can and should be taken towards improving the experience of students from BAME backgrounds. There must be a re-examining of how the College treats BAME students, and the curriculum taught should reflect the diverse and multicultural nature of our nation.
Racism & bullying
Racism and racial bullying, under the guise of ‘banter’, are rife at the College. This continues to be unchallenged and, on occasion, legitimised by staff, leaving BAME students feeling disempowered.
The College’s anti-bullying policy states that ‘all members of the College community should be free from fear of bullying’. However, BAME students are continually subjected to a regime of covert and overt racism which permeates every aspect of College life. The use of racist stereotypes and slurs, including the word n****r, is all too common. For example, black students who express themselves clearly are called “white”, falsely associating eloquence with whiteness. These offhand remarks reinforce white supremacist ideas and cumulatively affect the self-image of ethnic minority students, disenfranchising them and ultimately affecting their academic performance.
The anti-bullying policy also claims to ‘teach pupils about issues of difference (such as race) in lessons and assemblies and through dedicated events or projects.’ Collectively, we are unable to recount a single successful event aimed at educating students about race or racism. It seems the College is content with creating the mere façade of an inclusive learning environment, without making sufficient efforts to establish one. The College should strive to tackle the hostile culture we have outlined, and ensure that teachers are aware of, and prepared to deal with, racial abuse against students.
Pastoral care
When incidences of racial abuse arise, the hostile culture leaves students isolated and subdued into silence. In addition, due to the endemic nature of racism in the institution, students have no confidence that reporting their experiences will result in any change. The pastoral care framework struggles to appreciate the specific difficulties BAME students face, likely due to a lack of diversity of staff at the College. Ethnic diversity of teaching and pastoral staff is important for BAME students to feel comfortable within their place of education and to allow them to discuss their experiences. Neglect of students of colour due to lack of understanding of racism amongst staff is inexcusable. We believe the College can and must do better, starting with educating pastoral care staff on racism within the school environment, and how to properly support BAME students.
Adequate diversity of curriculum
The curriculum across multiple subjects is, at best, ignorant of the vital contributions of people of colour to history; and, at worst, reinforcing an Anglocentric, whitewashed worldview.
The English course, from Year 7 onwards, almost exclusively examined white writers, despite some of history's greatest literature, such as the works of Chinua Achebe, originating from African and Asian countries. Even in “western” literature, there are numerous great BAME writers from both Britain and America. Their omission from the curriculum negates the existence of BAME contributions to world literature, adding to a national white supremacist ideology.
The A-level English course included Southern Gothic texts; a racially obsessed sub-genre written from white perspectives. However, Toni Morrison, widely regarded as one of history’s greatest authors, and whose works fit within the Southern Gothic tradition, was not included. Whilst we acknowledge that some works are taught as part of a national curriculum, BAME writers can and should be studied more comprehensively by pre-GCSE year groups, and at GCSE and A level whenever possible.
The History curriculum presents an equally Eurocentric narrative. There is a consistent failure to recognise the role of Black and Asian people in British history. The study of the British Empire is limited to less than half a term and fails to illuminate the reasons for imperial conquest and the far-reaching consequences for those who were conquered. One of the few instances where Black history is addressed is the study of the American Civil War, which has the effect of framing historical racism as a foreign problem.
Beyond the core curriculum, the College has the opportunity to improve education on Black history as part of Liberal Studies. There are currently 62 Liberal Studies and A Level Plus options, none of which teach Black history or culture, and only one of which (India 1885-1947: The Unmaking of Empire) addresses the legacy of the British Empire. The relegation of such an important issue to an optional course, exclusively available in the Upper School, is an issue in and of itself. Whilst expanding Liberal Studies options to include an in-depth study of the aforementioned areas of British history would be a positive change, it does not negate the need for changes to the core curriculum.
The white-washed curriculum does a disservice to all students. It teaches students of colour that minority ethnic individuals have contributed nothing to society, limiting their ambition. Meanwhile, white students are indoctrinated with a false narrative of their own superiority, which may never be challenged.
Conclusion
Ethnic minority students have been neglected on a systemic level by the school. Casual racism, combined with the ineffectual pastoral care framework and poorly informed teaching staff, undoubtedly has a profound impact on the wellbeing of BAME students. We call on Dulwich College to acknowledge their failure to protect and nurture these students, as promised. The College must detail a sustained effort, beyond our suggestions, to tackle the issues we have raised. This is necessary to ensure BAME students achieve the same quality of education as their white counterparts. These changes are for the benefit of all current and future students, who deserve a better Dulwich experience.