Preventing and Addressing Racism in Schools

Preventing racism

Understand racism and its impacts

Legal and regulatory obligations

Preventing and responding to racism or religious intolerance in schools is everyone’s responsibility, and is consistent with the following legal obligations:

• federal and state anti-discrimination laws, including the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001 (VIC)
• the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibility Act 2006 (Vic)
• Child Safe Standard 1 and Child Safe Standard 5.

For advice about meeting your legal obligations, principals are encouraged to contact the department’s Legal Division at legal.services@education.vic.gov.au or on 03 9637 3146.

Build staff knowledge and capability

To improve your school’s understanding of racism and its harmful effects, consider undertaking training and regularly promoting available learning and development opportunities to all school staff. Options include:

• completing the Anti-Racism e-learning module (Australian Human Rights Commission), designed to help build an understanding of racism and its impacts, as well as practical actions that can be taken to address racism
• completing Community Understanding and Safety Training, which aims to strengthen the capability of school staff to build more culturally inclusive practices, including embedding First Nations perspectives in the curriculum and connecting with First Nations communities to support ongoing learning and partnership
• completing Workforce diversity and inclusion training (staff login required), including Anti-Racism Empowerment training
• inviting the Centre for Multicultural Youth to deliver a Schools Standing Up To Racism workshop, which is designed to support schools, at their point of need, to implement effective approaches to prevent and address racism
• watching and discussing Learning and responding to antisemitism videos, a series of video resources for teachers developed in collaboration with the Jewish Community Council of Victoria, the Jewish Museum of Australia and the Ark Centre
• connecting with organisations such as Islamic Council of Victoria or visiting the Islamic Museum which offers resources through their education portal and professional learning, exploring Islamophobia and misconceptions.

In addition to training, schools can promote ongoing awareness and learning for all staff by:

• using the Centre for Multicultural Youth’s collective assessment and Reflection tool for staff (PDF) in staff meetings, to guide staff conversations about racism and inclusion
• establishing an anti-racism working group, that may oversee the development and implementation of a Reconciliation Action Plan. Engage staff, students, families, carers and communities, academics or external organisations, such as a representative from the Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Inc. (VAEAI), the Local Aboriginal Education Consultative Group (LAECG), Foundation House or the Centre for Multicultural Youth
• listening to understand peoples’ experiences of racism and collectively come up with ideas for improvement
• providing handouts and display posters to help generate discussions, such as the resources available from Schools Standing Up To Racism
• arranging presentations and facilitating forums to educate the whole school community on the impact of racism and forms of racism – invite students, families, carers community leaders or community organisations to guide these sessions. Refer to Resources tab – Creating a culturally safe and inclusive environment
• engaging the expertise of your school and regional staff by inviting Multicultural Education Aides, School Cultural Liaison Officers or Koorie Engagement Support Officers to provide professional learning on specific student cohorts.

It is important to regularly communicate to your school community the steps you are taking to strengthen the school’s ability to prevent and address racism. This may include regular messaging on the school website (refer to School website content – template (DOCX)), in school newsletters (refer to School newsletter content – template (DOCX)), in the classroom, in assemblies and in meetings between students, families/carers and the teacher. For example, enrolment meetings, parent/caregiver/guardian and teacher interviews or Student Support Groups.

Use data to identify, prevent and address racism

Reviewing student responses to the Experience of Racism questions in the Attitudes to School Survey (AtoSS) can help staff determine whether racism should be a focus of the school’s Strategic Plan or Annual Implementation Plan. Reviewing AtoSS responses year to year can also help a school measure any changes or improvements over time and the impact of any strategies the school has in place to prevent racism.

In addition to the AtoSS data, schools can also use:

• the School Staff Survey
• the Parent/Caregiver/Guardian Opinion Survey
• Panorama, to identify trends in learning and wellbeing data for EAL, First Nations and Likely Refugee Background (LRB) students
• school-based absences and attendance data
• incident data
• student, parent/carer complaints or enquiries related to racism
• discussions with students, families and carers.

Use student demographic information to implement targeted programs

Schools can use the following sources to understand their students’ cultural, linguistic and religious backgrounds:

• Student Enrolment and Priority Cohort Information (school staff only)
• Panorama dashboards for student demographic information, including EAL, First Nations and Likely Refugee Background (LRB)
• consultations with their Multicultural Education Aides, Koorie Engagement Support Officer, Health, Wellbeing Key Contact or Student Support Services Key Contact
• discussions with students, families and carers.

Refer to the Resources tab – Creating a culturally safe and inclusive environment for targeted resources for supporting students who may experience racism or religious intolerance disproportionately to their peers, including:

• First Nations students
• students from African backgrounds
• students from Pasifika backgrounds
• students from refugee backgrounds
• students of Jewish faith
• students of Islamic faith.

Build partnerships with students, families, carers and communities to promote cultural safety and inclusion

Understand and address engagement barriers

To build strong partnerships with First Nations, culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse families, carers and communities, staff must first understand any barriers that may be impacting their engagement with the school. Barriers may include:

• lack of trust – some parents or carers may have experienced racism when engaging with their child’s school or when they were at school, and others may associate school contact with discipline issues and crisis, impacting their trust and ability to build a positive relationship with the school
• lack of culturally appropriate or inclusive activities – some families and carers may not feel represented in the school’s culture and activities
• lack of access to translating and interpreting services and other communication support – some families and carers may have limited oral and literacy skills in English and/or their first language
• digital literacy and access – some families and carers may have limited access or skills to use digital technologies and platforms (this may limit their ability to read school emails and newsletters, or use tools such as Compass or ClassDojo)
• expectations on family and school roles and relationships – some families and carers may not be familiar with the Australian education system and may have different experiences and expectations of what their involvement in school should be
• family roles and structures – family roles and structures may vary across cultures, but they can also change within families due to experiences of migration, displacement, separation or complex needs.

To address these barriers and enhance family and community engagement, schools can:

• communicate the value of family involvement in the Australian education system
• agree with families and carers on preferred ways of communication (newsletters, emails, phone, face-to-face) and provide appropriate spaces for face-to-face meetings ensuring enough room for participants to invite relevant support people
• ensure translating and interpreting services are utilised
• engage Multicultural Education Aides to deliver and reinforce key messages for students, families, carers and communities, including invitations to school events, and seek their valuable advice and feedback
• create opportunities for consultation and feedback and involve families and carers in decision-making on issues that relate not only to their child’s education, but also to the wider school community
• create opportunities for engagement (for example, celebrate or acknowledge cultural and religious occasions, ensure there is culturally appropriate food at school events, and key messages and event invitations are translated)
• invite community leaders, Elders and organisations to participate in staff professional learning, school events and information sessions to build cultural awareness and understanding of diverse perspectives or issues affecting specific student groups
• ensure the school council, and any subcommittees, reflect the school’s community by encouraging a diversity of people to run for election
• in all messaging, use plain English and culturally relevant images that reflect the diversity of the school community.

For more guidance on family and community engagement, refer to Strengthening Aboriginal Self-Determination in Education (PDF) and Opening the School Gate: Engaging migrant and refugee families.

Student voice, agency and leadership

Students can play a major role in anti-racism efforts informed by their experiences and needs. Staff can support this by:

• facilitating classroom discussions or focus groups to understand students’ experiences of racism and feelings of safety and inclusion at school
• having group discussions about what it means to be an ‘ally’, and finding ways for allies and students of culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse backgrounds to work collaboratively
• creating anti-racism Student Voice Teams (SVT) to amplify diverse student voices and influence decision-making in governance bodies
• encouraging SVTs or classroom groups to lead anti-racism projects in the school
• collaborating with students to shape culturally safe and inclusive teaching and learning programs.

Refer to the Amplify Toolkit, Student Leaders for Multicultural Inclusion guide (PDF), Campfire Conversations – reflections and directions (PDF), Schools Standing Up to Racism, Student-led projects – Ideas and activities (PDF) and Braybrook Secondary College’s case study (DOCX) – Braybrook College and the Power Collective for further guidance on, and examples of, student voice, agency and anti-racism projects.

Create a culturally safe and inclusive environment

Cultural safety includes being provided with a safe, nurturing and positive environment where First Nations and culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse staff, students, families, carers and communities:

• feel comfortable being themselves
• feel comfortable expressing their culture, including their spirituality and beliefs
• are respected by the people around them and their sense of self and identity is encouraged and valued.

Refer to the Resources tab – Creating a culturally safe and inclusive environment for a range of targeted programs and resources available to schools to help ensure a culturally safe and inclusive learning environment for student cohorts who may experience racism or religious intolerance disproportionately to their peers, including:

• First Nations students
• students from African backgrounds
• students from Pasifika backgrounds
• students from refugee backgrounds
• students of Jewish faith
• students of Islamic faith.

Intersectionality is an important consideration when creating a culturally safe and inclusive environment and when identifying supports and adjustments for individual and student cohorts. Some students, families and carers hold different identities. For example, gender, disability, sexuality, age, culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse backgrounds, financial disadvantage and family structure. When intersectionality is not considered, students, families and carers experience barriers to their participation that relate to their identities.

School staff are encouraged to:

• build awareness, listen to, and collaborate with students, families, carers, and communities
• reflect on each student’s unique experiences and needs
• foster a respectful, inclusive environment to combat discrimination.

By doing so, staff will be better equipped to provide safe, inclusive resources and adjustments, ensuring all students and families feel valued and supported.

Value and promote workforce diversity

Schools can strengthen connections with students, families and carers and promote cultural safety, awareness and understanding by:

• hiring bicultural staff, such as Multicultural Education Aides (MEAs), to assist with communication and classroom support for students from language backgrounds other than English
• engaging Multicultural School Community Liaison Officers (SCLOs) to bridge the gap between schools, and students of African heritage. SCLOs are an initiative of the Victorian African Communities Action Plan (PDF)
• seeking support from Koorie Engagement Support Officers (KESOs), who are regional area-based professionals and work with the local First Nations community with an understanding of First Nations cultures and histories of their communities. KESOs provide advice to schools about culturally inclusive learning environments, coordination of services to support engagement and improved outcomes for First Nations children and young people. For more information, refer to Koorie education workforce
• appointing a Marrung Lead to be a point of contact in the school for providing First Nations resources, facilitating Communities of Practice on First Nations perspectives in the Curriculum and be a point of contact for KESOs
• appointing an Anti-racism Contact Officer (ARCO) to oversee responses to incidents of racism, reporting processes and coordinate preventative anti-racism work. Refer to Braybrook Secondary College’s case study (DOCX), which describes how an ARCO can promote partnerships, student voice and agency, professional learning and clear and safe school responses and reporting processes regarding racism.

Review and update local school procedures and practices

When developing or reviewing any local school policies and/or the School Strategic Plan and Annual Implementation Plan, schools can collaborate with staff, students, families, carers and communities whenever appropriate to:

• review data to identify and address potential systemic biases, such as disciplinary practices disproportionately affecting specific groups of students
• identify how bias, including unconscious bias, may be impacting procedures and practices
• monitor and review the impact of revised procedures and practices and allow for ongoing improvement
• review relevant policies, such as Child Safety and Wellbeing, Complaints, Statement of Values and School Philosophy, Bullying Prevention, Child Safety Responding and Reporting Obligations, Student Wellbeing and Engagement to ensure they promote anti-racism approaches and cultural safety and inclusion
• develop an anti-racism action plan to support the implementation of this policy.

Resources such as the Multicultural Inclusion Reflection Tool (within theStudent Leaders for Multicultural Inclusion guide (PDF)), the School-based audit tool (PDF) from VicHealth, and the Centre for Multicultural Youth’s Collective Assessment and Reflection Tool for Staff (PDF) can support schools to review and assess school practices using an inclusion lens.

Communicate zero tolerance of racism

Consistently promoting zero tolerance for racism and religious intolerance is everyone’s responsibility and reinforces the school’s values and culture.

In addition to adding a link to this policy on their website (refer to School website content – template (DOCX)), schools should routinely communicate their commitment to addressing racism to the school community by:

• newsletters (refer to School newsletter content – template (DOCX)) to clearly communicate efforts to prevent, respond to and report racism, emphasising that it is not tolerated
• encouraging students, families and carers to report any incidents of racism, including providing details of the Report Racism hotline if they are not comfortable reporting to the school
• where there is an anti-racism action plan, sharing this on the school website with the state-wide policy and in relevant school and families’ meetings
• making anti-racism a standing agenda item on school council meetings and assemblies
• inviting community leaders, KESOs and Marrung Leads (where schools have them), to advise and collaborate on anti-racism and culturally safe and responsive approaches and programs
• organising gatherings such as Campfire Conversations (PDF) where families and community members discuss processes and supports for addressing racism
• inviting community organisations, such as Centre for Multicultural Youth, and/or engaging MEAs to support school staff to understand cross-cultural communication approaches to build trust and enhance stronger connections and communication between students, families, carers and the broader school community
• communicating the school’s zero tolerance for racism at appropriate school events
• communicating this policy in staff handbooks and during staff inductions
• communicating this policy to new families, carers and students during the enrolment process
• using the Annual Report to highlight steps the school is taking to improve cultural safety and prevent racism in line with Child Safe Standards.

Celebrate diversity

Schools may consider how physical environments and school activities can be enhanced to celebrate students’ identities and be culturally safe and welcoming for all students (refer to Child Safe Standard 1, Schools – culturally safe and environments guidance and Child Safe Standard 5, Schools – diversity and equity guidance). To achieve this, schools may consider:

• doing an Acknowledgment of Country prior to meetings, events, lessons and assemblies
• celebrating cultural events and recognising and celebrating diversity during Cultural Diversity Week (including Harmony Day/International Day for the Elimination of Racism), NAIDOC Week, National Reconciliation Week and Refugee Week
• displaying signs, visual art and artifacts, representing different cultures and languages, being mindful of context and aware that some objects (such as flags) may create concerns with some communities
• providing spaces for staff and students to practice their culture and religion, such as prayer rooms for individual use. Refer to the Supervision of Students policy
• offering culturally appropriate food in school canteens and at events.

Promote cultural diversity and inclusion in teaching and learning

Teach cultural diversity and inclusion through the curriculum

The Victorian Curriculum F–10 Version 2.0 supports schools in developing teaching and learning programs that promote social cohesion and cultural awareness across curriculum areas through:

• Intercultural Capability, which is required to be taught across learning areas
• the cross-curriculum priority Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures
• the cross-curriculum priority Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia
• Holocaust Education, which is a part of the History curriculum, and must be taught in all Victorian government secondary schools.

Schools can access Arc’s curriculum-aligned resources to ensure staff follow protocols for teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. Teachers can also use resources from the Languages and Multicultural Education Resource Centre (LMERC) to support these curriculum priorities.

Schools should include First Nations and culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse voices, texts, cultures, histories and experiences in lesson plans.

Refer to Teaching and Learning Resources – Selecting Appropriate Materials for policy and guidance on selecting suitable teaching and learning resources for students to avoid using culturally insensitive imagery or content. For example, avoid conveying images and caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad.

Include anti-racism in teaching and learning

Teaching about anti-racism is an effective way to promote an inclusive, safe and respectful school culture where racism is not tolerated.
Refer to the Resources tab – Promoting cultural diversity and inclusion in teaching and learning for more teaching and learning resources to support teachers to build students’ capacity to help prevent racism and discrimination, and to promote students’ voice and leadership in anti-racism.