- lower literacy and numeracy outcomes
- under-achievement in academic performance
- disengagement and lower rates of attendance, participation, and retention
- barriers to further educational pathways and employment
- lack of recognition of high potential or talent resulting in reduced educational opportunity.
Understanding racism
An understanding of the nature of racism and its impact is essential for recognising and effectively countering it in schools.
What is racism?
The Australian Human Rights Commission (2020) states: “Racism is the process by which systems and policies, actions and attitudes create inequitable opportunities and outcomes for people based on race. Racism is more than just prejudice in thought or action. It occurs when this prejudice -whether individual or institutional – is accompanied by the power to discriminate against oppress or limit the rights of others”.
In schools, racism can take many forms, both on-site and online. It may include jokes, name-calling, verbal abuse, harassment or intimidation. It may also include threats or acts of physical abuse and violence. Teaching and learning practices that do not respect the cultural, linguistic or religious identities of students and staff are also a form of racism.
Racism at school may be direct or indirect and may manifest through unconscious bias or prejudice. It can occur in obvious as well as subconscious, subtle and subversive ways. Without policies and practices in place to actively challenge racist behaviours and biases, systemic racism and racist attitudes may go unchecked in the teaching and learning environment, creating an inequitable and damaging school culture.
Who experiences racism?
At an individual level, anyone may experience prejudice or discrimination because of their race, the country where they were born, their ethnic origin or their skin colour. This is known as individual racism. However, groups who are not from the dominant culture in society are more likely to experience institutional or systemic racism.
In Australia, racism is inextricably linked to colonisation and migration. In the past, a number of racist policies and practices were embedded in Australian laws and institutions, and these impacted greatly on Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples and migrant groups.
For Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples, historic racism resulted in the loss of land, language, culture and lives, the forced removal of children, denial of citizenship and lack of recognition as Australia’s original inhabitants. Prejudice and discrimination were also directed towards many groups who migrated to Australia from both English and non-English speaking backgrounds. Examples include the White Australia policy which aimed to prevent immigration from non-European backgrounds and anti-Chinese riots and Chinese immigration restrictions which occurred during the gold rush.
While legislation now exists to protect the rights of all Australians, there is a continuing legacy from this history, and racism continues to impact on many Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples and people from culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse backgrounds today.
Impact of racism in schools
Racism in schools hurts both individuals and the learning and working environment. It generates tensions that distort cultural understanding and narrows the educational experiences of all students.
Racism directed towards students, teachers and other members of the school community can prevent them from fully participating in school life and achieving their full potential.
For students, racism may impact on educational outcomes, wellbeing, participation and behaviour.
Educational outcomes
Wellbeing
- low self-esteem and feelings of failure
- fear of school and withdrawing from others
- loss of confidence
- higher levels of stress
- anxiety and depression.
Identity and belonging
- rejection of own culture
- refusal to speak languages other than English
- confusion about own identity
- sense of isolation
- feelings of powerlessness and lack of resilience.
Behaviour
- silence, withdrawal or disengagement from learning
- reduced concentration or inability to take risks with learning
- disengagement from healthy activities
- increased absenteeism
- failure to cooperate or being disruptive in class
- displays of aggression or violent behaviour.
Racism can negatively impact on the school climate, influencing whole school culture and the level of social cohesion and community harmony within the school community. It may result in:
- little or no cooperation or friendship between students, staff or families from different cultural, linguistic or religious backgrounds
- conflict in the playground between students from different cultural, linguistic or religious backgrounds
- tense or unproductive student–teacher relationships
- high rates of student and/or staff absenteeism
- staff having low expectations of some students
- lack of parental and community confidence in the school
- parents/carers from some culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse backgrounds being unwilling to engage with the school
- ineffective home-school relationships or poor parent-teacher relationships
- disharmony within the school community.
School staff may also experience racism and this may take the form of harassment, abuse, lack of support for career pathways and/or access to leadership opportunities. School staff may also be exposed to racist stereotypes expressed by students and colleagues. This may result in:
- antagonism between school staff of different cultural, linguistic or religious backgrounds
- lack of collaboration or tensions in the working environment
- high levels of stress, anxiety and depression in the workplace
- loss of confidence and enjoyment in teaching or in working at the school
- increased sick days or other forms of absences
- limited promotion and leadership opportunities for some members of school staff
- high turnover of school staff
- loss of confidence in school leaders to treat all members of the school community fairly.
While evidence shows that racial discrimination has a direct impact on a person’s overall wellbeing individual reactions to racism often vary. For example, people who do not expect to be dealing with racism may be confused and shocked when they encounter it, while others who may have previously experienced racism, or dealt with it over many years, may respond with anger. Irrespective of the individual response, racism will often have a deep and long-lasting effect on individuals and groups.
Indicators of racism in schools
There are a range of indicators that may flag the presence, or possible presence, of racist practices, behaviours or systems in the school environment.
- not providing access to interpreters or translations for parents who need them
- not addressing lower academic attainment levels for students from specific cultural, linguistic or religious backgrounds
- applying more severe behaviour management procedures for students from some cultural, linguistic or religious backgrounds
- over-representation of specific cultural groups in suspensions and expulsions
- inappropriate use of targeted equity resources for specific groups, such as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students, students who are learning English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D) or students from refugee backgrounds
- failing to ensure equitable access to government information, programs and services for people from all backgrounds
- school practices, processes or systems that unfairly disadvantage students and/or staff from specific cultural, linguistic or religious backgrounds.
- not delivering an Acknowledgement of Country at events
- not allowing students to speak in languages other than English at school
- compelling students to take part in activities that conflict with their cultural or religious beliefs
- condoning, ignoring or inappropriately responding to racism or complaints of racism
- forcibly anglicising student and staff names
- not informing students, parents and staff of their rights in relation to racism.
- having parent, student and community committees or groups that do not represent the school community’s diversity
- under-representation of cultural, linguistic or religious diversity in student and staff leadership roles
- not acknowledging the cultural, linguistic, or religious diversity among the school community
- refusing to work or play with people because of their cultural, linguistic or religious background, or that of their relatives or friends.
- having lower expectations about the abilities of students from some cultural, linguistic or religious backgrounds
- inappropriate placement of students in low ability or support groups based on their cultural, linguistic, or religious backgrounds
- not giving awards or recognition to students from some cultural, linguistic, or religious groups.
- teaching programs that assume perspectives of the dominant group as normal
- disregarding the cultural capital students bring to their learning
- teaching activities and approaches that lack consideration and respect for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples’ identity, cultures, heritage and languages
- using examples or resources that reinforce racial stereotypes and generalisations about some cultural, linguistic, or religious groups
- giving low priority to language and cultural programs in the school’s timetable
- excluding students from groups based on their cultural, linguistic or religious backgrounds.
- making judgements about a person’s language ability based on their accent or appearance
- making assumptions about people’s abilities or preferences based on their language, religion or cultural background
- generalising about the values and skills of people from cultural, linguistic, or religious groups
- excluding people from social groups based on their ethnic backgrounds or religious beliefs.
- writing negative graffiti, slogans or online posts directed at individuals or groups from particular cultural, linguistic or religious backgrounds
- writing or presenting images which encourage racial discrimination, hatred or violence
- creating racist or social exclusion campaigns on social networking sites
- advocating for a particular cause by using hateful conduct or extremism
- wearing badges, insignia, or clothes with slogans against particular cultural, linguistic or religious groups.
- using derogatory language or terms to describe particular cultural, linguistic or religious groups
- making stereotyped statements, fun or jokes about people from different cultural, linguistic, or religious groups
- verbal or physical assault of people from different cultural, linguistic or religious backgrounds.
Anti-racism research
The Anti-Racism Policy and anti-racism education programs are informed by research that is relevant to the NSW public school context and linked to improving the learning and wellbeing of students, and the school experiences of students, staff and community members.
ARB: Australian Reconciliation Barometer (Reconciliation Australia) - The ARB measures attitudes towards reconciliation, using the five dimensions of reconciliation to inform data collection and analysis. It is a biennial, national research study, undertaken by Reconciliation Australia since 2008. The 2022 ARB demonstrates sustained progress on reconciliation, with an overwhelming majority of respondents believing it is important to undertake formal truth-telling processes in Australia. However, it also shows an increase in the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experiencing racism.
Challenging Racism (Western Sydney University) - The Challenging Racism Project is a national research program on racism and anti-racism in Australia based in the School of Social Sciences and Psychology at Western Sydney University. Research themes include attitudes towards cultural diversity, race and racism, experiences of racism and their impact, anti-racism strategies, cyber-racism, Islamophobia, and violent extremism.
Mapping social cohesion report (Scanlon Foundation Research Institute) - Surveys which provides social research, a series of detailed surveys on social cohesion, immigration and population issues. A prime objective of the surveys is to further understanding of the social impact of Australia’s increasingly diverse immigration program.
Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) survey (NSW Department of Education) - In 2023 the RAP team conducted a staff survey to measure the department’s understanding, attitudes and behaviours towards reconciliation. This assists the department to identify areas where progress is being made and where challenges remain.
SOAR: Speak Out Against Racism (Australian National University) - The SOAR project is a major research study conducted on NSW and Victorian public schools focused on understanding and addressing experiences and attitudes to racism and racial discrimination, and bystander responses to racism and racial discrimination in Australian schools.
Young people and social cohesion (eSafety Commissioner) - Research commissioned by the Office of the eSafety Commissioner and the Department of Education and Training, November to December 2016. Research into the online experiences of young people to support eSafety programs promoting social cohesion and digital resilience. Respondents included 2,448 young people aged 12–17 years in Australia.