by Kausor Amin-Ali
The world is much more interconnected for most of us than ever before in human history. In this cosmopolitan world, a lot has been said, especially over the past five years, regarding the need for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) mainly in Western workplaces and society.
Post-pandemic internationalism and a global workforce are a reality, and the need to have a global DEI approach is essential for all stakeholders to thrive.
Other letters have been added on as a suffix, such as J for Justice or B for Belonging.
Upon reflection, I would like to put the case forward that this alphabet soup can all be simplified to EJ – Equity and Justice. Put simply: if the structures are equitable, we will be inclusive, and consequently diverse and individuals will feel a sense of belonging and participation within the organisation.
Why EJ is Important?
Equity ensures that there is a structural shift to ensure that each stakeholder or individual can access the same opportunities and resources fairly. This does not mean that they will have the same outcome. Rightly, talent, the efforts and endeavours made by some more than others should be recognised and rewarded.
However, this does mean that there is a genuine level playing field and that somebody by virtue of birth, privilege or wealth should not have an advantage which cannot be closed in one’s lifetime. Whilst society’s challenges are significant, the level playing field should be more visible in an organisation from hiring to promotion and career progression. Such ‘level playing field’ systems provide a ‘controlled’ environment for equitable practice to take hold.
Justice is addressing historical wrongs but also holding others to account in the present. Inadequate line managers who are unjust need to be held to account and shown the mirror to reflect and improve or shown the door to exit due to having a fixed mindset.
EJ Begins in Schools
Schools in general have a moral duty to ensure children grow to be active and positive contributors to society. In the international school sector, this is more important as the context of students from all over the world interacting and collaborating together for a few academic years is something quite unique, aside from being replicated at university campuses.
Within this environment, curriculum and policies are needed to ensure this becomes a reality. With reference to Turner’s purposes of education[1], in my view, this can all be underpinned with the statement ‘we educate to further social justice’ as a foundation. Through this, to educate for the world of work and to build character would be a direct consequence of this foundation.
The other purpose of educating is to teach knowledge for its intrinsic value. I would dare to suggest that this also fits in with the love of learning, that purposeful curriculum implementation built on the drive for social justice will incorporate this core value – if you care about others, you care about your subject.
Under-representation in Headship and School Leadership
Yet teaching such virtues is one thing, demonstrating it in the school workplace is another. The lack of diversity in both female representation and non-White principalship and school leadership is very apparent both in the UK and in the (British) International Schools context.
Research I have carried out from some of the leading international schools’ bodies[2] shows of the 524 listed schools in their respective website directories, 35.8% of Principals[3] were female[4] and 11.4% were non-White[5]. In a global population context, 49.7% are female and 82.5% are non-White[6].
Of course, each school has its own context, both within the campus and the immediate locality in which the school is located. So whilst the gender percentage is similar, the White/non-White proportion varies considerably.
Many reasons may exist for the current representation, but in order to ensure a more EJ representation, structural changes need to be made, and gatekeepers challenged at the point of hiring or promoting a colleague.
Questions to Consider
Whilst many Boards may choose the Principal in their preferred image, we need to ask firstly: what authority does the Principal have to ensure that the SLT is built around equity? Having a more diverse SLT may improve the likelihood of more representative Principalship via the ‘pipeline’ for succession planning.
Secondly, we need to ask: Are some Principals reinforcing the Board’s preferences in their SLT? This then opens another line of enquiry of how curriculum and policy are being applied if students are being told the school community is equitable and based on merit but (senior) appointments are not.
Lastly, it compromises the Principal’s moral purpose. If they can be biassed in this domain, couldn’t they be prone to manipulation and dishonesty in other areas?
References
[1] Turner S (2016) Secondary Curriculum and Assessment Design. London: Bloomsbury Education.
[2] https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kausor_diverseschools-diverseleaders-equitableeducation-activity-7220986633704116224-nhSB
[3] Principals were sometimes listed as Headteachers, Headmasters/Headmistresses or Heads of Schools. The latter is where a Board member/owner appears as the Chair or the Director. In schools which had two Heads of Schools, I referenced the one named in any external inspection report.
[4] Identified as per their designated title on the school website Miss, Ms or Mrs.
[5] As defined by the UK census: https://history.blog.gov.uk/2019/03/07/50-years-of-collecting-ethnicity-data/
[6] https://2023-wpds.prb.org/
Kausor Amin-Ali qualified as a teacher from the University of Cambridge more than twenty years ago. He is the Principal of Frontline International Private School, in Ajman, UAE and Chair of Governors of Robert Miles Infant School in England. He is also the Founder of All Children Read, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to eradicating childhood illiteracy. He has written two books, A-Z of School Leadership and A-Z of Teaching. He is a Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching and of the Royal Society of Arts.
To connect with Kausor Amin-Ali on LinkedIn, click here
Next week’s Principal’s Blog is written by Janice Williams, Head of Sixth Form, EPQ Centre Lead, Futures Planning and AI Enthusiast, Repton Al Barsha, UAE
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