Anti- racism education programme may be rolled out to all of Scotland
The formula is simple enough. Children aged 11 to 13 watch a video featuring the sublime talents of black footballers such as Thierry Henry and Shaka Hislop. There follows a workshop and discussion and finally a coaching session and kickabout with Gerry Britton and Derek Ferguson, well-kent figures from the Scottish game. The object of the exercise is to challenge racism and negative attitudes towards asylum-seekers and refugees.
It has proved remarkably effective, with almost 75% of children who previously held negative views about race emerging from the project with a more positive and understanding attitude. Significantly, schools with the smallest proportion of children from an ethnic minority background initially exhibited the most racist attitudes. Ignorance breeds hostility and closed minds.
The idea is the brainchild of Show Racism the Red Card, a small Tyneside-based charity that has recruited to its cause a number of high-profile black players, as well as influential senior figures in the game, such as Sir Bobby Robson. If the idea wins Scottish Executive funding, it may now be rolled out across Scotland. The lesson of the pilot project is that football, a sport that has suffered more than its fair share of racism, is an excellent vehicle for tackling it, especially if the lesson is delivered by former players who still enjoy celebrity status.
The same applies to sectarianism. It is a fact of contemporary culture that celebrities have the power to sell ideas and challenge ingrained attitudes. The other lesson to be learned is that, if anything, it is in areas where there are fewest black and brown faces, where this form of education is most urgently needed.
Are 11 to 13-year-olds the right age group? Recent pioneering work by the Strathclyde Violence Reduction Unit suggests that attitudes to violence are formed before a child reaches school age. Remarks reported yesterday from Lord Ouseley, former chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality, suggest that some children are exhibiting racist attitudes by the age of three. The view that children are "colour-blind" until around the age of six may need to be challenged. It could bring a whole new meaning to the idea of children learning their colours.
Source: The Herald
It has proved remarkably effective, with almost 75% of children who previously held negative views about race emerging from the project with a more positive and understanding attitude. Significantly, schools with the smallest proportion of children from an ethnic minority background initially exhibited the most racist attitudes. Ignorance breeds hostility and closed minds.
The idea is the brainchild of Show Racism the Red Card, a small Tyneside-based charity that has recruited to its cause a number of high-profile black players, as well as influential senior figures in the game, such as Sir Bobby Robson. If the idea wins Scottish Executive funding, it may now be rolled out across Scotland. The lesson of the pilot project is that football, a sport that has suffered more than its fair share of racism, is an excellent vehicle for tackling it, especially if the lesson is delivered by former players who still enjoy celebrity status.
The same applies to sectarianism. It is a fact of contemporary culture that celebrities have the power to sell ideas and challenge ingrained attitudes. The other lesson to be learned is that, if anything, it is in areas where there are fewest black and brown faces, where this form of education is most urgently needed.
Are 11 to 13-year-olds the right age group? Recent pioneering work by the Strathclyde Violence Reduction Unit suggests that attitudes to violence are formed before a child reaches school age. Remarks reported yesterday from Lord Ouseley, former chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality, suggest that some children are exhibiting racist attitudes by the age of three. The view that children are "colour-blind" until around the age of six may need to be challenged. It could bring a whole new meaning to the idea of children learning their colours.
Source: The Herald
posted by garrettmullan
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