Anti-Racism in Education Programme Board minutes: March 2024

Attendees and apologies

Present

Dr. Khadija Mohammed, Chair 
Nikhat Yusaf, Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) BAME Network
Safia Ali, CEMVO
Monica Medina, Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA)
Dr. Pauline Stephen, General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS)
Carol Young, Coalition for Race Equality and Rights (CRER)
Carrie Lindsay, Association of the Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES)
Nuzhat Uthmani, Diversity in the Teaching Profession and Education Workforce subgroup
Mélina Valdelièvre, Education Scotland
Laura-Ann Currie, Education Scotland
Saskia Kearns, Scottish Government
Judith Ballantine, Scottish Government
Emma Bunting, Secretariat, Scottish Government

Apologies

Jovan Rao Rydder, Curriculum Reform Subgroup
Nikhat Yusaf, Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Network
Monica Medina, Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA)
 

Items and actions

Welcome and introductions

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting. Apologies were noted as above.

Guided mindfulness

The Chair outlined the rules regarding respectful dialogue.

Minutes of previous meeting

The minutes from the last meeting were distributed with the papers for this meeting.  There were no further comments and the minutes were agreed, they will be published on the Scottish Government’s website.

An update was provided on the actions:

• Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) Live working group to investigate how City of Edinburgh Council educators can participate in DYW live sessions, as they do not use Glow – Ongoing, this has been superseded by the engagement with the Youth Ambassadors
• Members were asked to submit any examples of best practice of positive action to Asif – Ongoing, Asif remains content to receive examples
• Members are encouraged to send further thoughts on the finance proposals via email to Secretariat – Ongoing, to be discussed further under agenda item 6
• Secretariat to consider how to engage young people in the work of the Programme following the withdrawal of the Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament – Ongoing

Recap of previous meeting and overview of this one

The Chair offered a brief overview of what was discussed at the meeting of the Programme Board on 28 Feb 2024 and outlined the agenda for this one.

Education Reform (including National Discussion and Reform of Assessment and Qualifications)

The current position in relation to the education reform process was outlined. The Bill which will underpin the establishment of a new qualifications body and inspectorate function will be laid before Parliament this year. It is anticipated that the new organisations will be in place following the 2025 exam diet.

The second meeting of the Co-Production Group related to the Centre for Teaching Excellence took place on 26 March 2024, this group brings together representatives from academic institutions and teaching professionals in order to support the work. It is expected that the Centre will be hosted by a University following the success of the Centre for Excellence for Children’s Care and Protection.

Finance

Scottish Government budgets for financial year 2024/25 continue to be finalised. It was proposed that the four workstreams review their workplans in order to identify where actions could be progressed with additional funding, these proposals would then be brought to the Board for consideration. Members felt that this was a good idea.

Action: Workstreams to consider their work plans and where actions could be progressed with additional funding.

There was appetite within the group that Theory of Change (ToC) models be developed for each of the workstreams, as has been done for the Diversity in the Teaching Profession and Education Workforce (DiTPEW) one.

Action: Secretariat to investigate from Scottish Government analytical services colleagues whether the development of a ToC model for each of the workstreams would be possible.

Programme workstream updates

Each subgroup chair was invited to provide a verbal update on progress within their workstream, based upon the written updates provided in annexes to these minutes.

Diversity in the Teaching Profession and Education Workforce (DiTPEW)  (See Annex A)

It was reflected that there are several tangible outputs currently under development as part of the DiTPEW work.

At the most recently meeting of the subgroup Scottish Government data analysts spoke to the emerging teacher census data and the development of this year’s annual Diversity in the Teaching Profession report. Discussions continue with UCAS to establish whether there are additional data sets that they can provide for inclusion in the report.

Hakim Din from Calabar Education Consultants came to the March meeting of the group to update on progress towards the development of an Anti-Racist Action Guide (previously described as a Framework) for education employers. Work on this continues apace and it is expected that a near final version of the report will be brought to the DiTPEW in April 2024. Members were clear that we need to think carefully about how the framework will be shared in order to ensure maximum impact. There may be something in this space around the interaction between this framework and the Sponsoring Guide being developed by GTCS.

Curriculum Reform (See Annex B)

The Curriculum Reform group met earlier in March, with a range of presenters attending. This included a presentation on teaching slavery in Scotland.

At the meeting there was also an update on the small grants fund and from a school in Orkney about some emerging practice taking place there.

There was also a discussion related to the workstream’s budget. The group hope to get additional feedback from the Youth Ambassadors.

Working is ongoing in relation to developing a child-friendly version of the curriculum principles, this includes discussions with the Children’s Parliament on a collaborative approach to achieving this.

Education Leadership and Professional Learning (ELPL) (See Annex C)

There was no verbal update from this group.

Racism and Racist Incidents (RRI) (See Annex D)

There was no verbal update from this group.

Programme Board Terms of Reference

With the upcoming summit it was agreed that a finalised Terms of Reference for the Programme Board should be published on the Scottish Government’s website

There was a substantive discussion related to the Terms of Reference, this included discussion in relation to the terminology with respect to being ‘trauma informed’ and whether there was a need to define ‘racism’ for the purposes of the programme. Suggestions were captured in real time and an updated Terms of Reference document will be circulated for additional comment, being mindful that the Board will not meet again formally before the summit.

Action: Secretariat to circulate updated version of the Board's Terms of Reference for comment.

Anti-Racism in Education Summit

Planning and preparation continues for the Anti-Racism in Education summit on 08 May 2024, this includes regular engagement with the Senior Steering Group and panel members.

The 2-line commitment will be sent to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills for her consideration by 28 March 2024. The Secretariat advised that it is likely that the Cabinet Secretary will come back with questions and comments as this is standard for something of this nature.

Several members raised concerns that they have not yet received invitations to the summit. Members had suggestions for names that should be added to the invite list, these were noted by the Secretariat.

Action: Secretariant to send invites to the summit to those members who have not received them and to double check that invites have gone to everyone on the invite list.

Any other business

No items of AOB were raised and the meeting was brought to a close.

Annex A

Key updates

• the twenty-sixth meeting of the DITPEW subgroup took place on 26 March 2024. The agenda covered the following: 
  • an update from Hakim Din on development of the Anti-Racism Action Guide (formerly Framework) for Education Employers 
  • a presentation from Scottish Government analytical services regarding data to be used in the Annual Diversity in the Teaching Profession data report, scheduled for publication on 29 May 2024
  • a short discussion on the subgroup’s response to the recommendations from the Youth Ambassadors’ group facilitated by IYS
• Hakim Din, of Calabar Education Consultants has been formally contracted, on behalf of the DiTPEW, to undertake the development of the Anti-Racism Framework for Education Employers. This is scheduled for publication on 29 May 2024
• the Young People’s Group, facilitated by IYS, submitted a set of recommendations to the DiTPEW. These have been reviewed carefully and a formal response is currently in development, in the fullness of time this will be issued to the young people
• eork has commenced on the development of the 2024 iteration of the Annual Diversity in the Teaching Profession Data Report, due for publication on 29 May 2024

Forward look

• the group have submitted a proposal to UCAS for additional data sets to include in the annual data report. To date UCAS have no responded
• the group will continue to support Khadija and SCDE to drive engagement with and support the ITE framework 
• work with GTCS on their plan to gather additional data on previously registered teachers
• the DiTPEW are engaging with Alana Crawford, a PhD student at University of Strathclyde who is researching the experiences of minority ethnic students going through the ITE process. Alana intends to attend the Feb meeting of the DiTPEW to speak about her work

Risks/issues/sensitivities

• no new risks identified

Annex B

Key updates

• feedback to SQA provided on language changes to social studies qualifications and early consideration of next steps in medium-long-term incusing a possible short-life working group
• discussion on proposals for 2024-25 curriculum workstream budget and opportunity to discuss plans, ensure alignment with priorities and challenge spend/identify unmet need that should be supported

Forward look

• early discussions with the Children’s Parliament and their potential role in leading a collaborative approach to the design and delivery of anti-racism in education principles by and for children and young people

Risks/issues/sensitivities

• no new risks identified

Annex C

Key updates

• cohort 4 of the BRL programme completed in March with the Sharing the Learning Day 
• there are now 200 participants signed up to the alumni network 
• the BRL newsletter was developed by and for alumni

Forward look

• a small working party of alumni are meeting at the end of March 2024 to develop a Leading Effective Anti-Racist Learning pack, and there are 3 upcoming dates for Leading Effective Anti-Racist Professional Learning for alumni
• PLL Lead Specialist is organising a presentation about ELPL’s work for an upcoming session with IYS Youth Ambassadors  
• the BRL independent evaluation is on course to be complete by the end of March

Risks/issues/sensitivities

• new BRL alumni from Cohort 4 have begun to receive online abuse. PLL Lead Specialist has been in touch with one participant and discussed the experience. Initial feedback from the Independent Evaluation has flagged up that it is primarily women of colour experiencing abuse. Consideration to be given to what additional support/action can be made available/taken
• busy schedules have made full attendance at ELPL meetings challenging, and some members have recently changed roles. At a future meeting we will review the Terms of Reference for the group including consideration of membership

Annex D

Key updates

• the IYS youth engagement project focused on the topic of racism and racist incidents during the focus group held on 7 February. Three members of the RRI sub-group attended and participated in discussions
• there have been staff changes/absence at CEMVO and existing co-chairs plan to meet with new CEMVO staff member shortly to discuss chairing arrangements

Forward look

• work is continuing on drafting the whole school approach to preventing and responding to racism and racist incidents

Risks/issues/sensitivities

• Secretariat for the working group began maternity leave in mid-February. A replacement is expected to be in place in April. It is not anticipated that this will lead to any significant delays to the workstream