Schooling, Education, and the Reproduction of Inequality: Understanding Black and Minority Ethnic attitudes to learning in two London Schools

The argument here places the personal reflections of BAME students and educators at the forefront in this discussion of racial inequity in the British educational system. The contributors are stakeholders who have an investment in schooling, either as student or educator, that cannot be reduced to the four walls of the classroom. It features interviews and personal communications that shed light on what needs to be done to correct disparities in educational outcomes for BAME students. Emphasis is placed on the quality of their contributions and the importance of having a positive black presence in their teaching and learning environments. It features candid reflections on the rights or wrongs of having a Black History Month (BHM) celebration, especially in the wake of the introduction in 2008 of Black History as the 'Slave Trade' in the National Curriculum, which many considered, and still believe was ill thought through at the time.