education part 1: school exclusions, adultification and advocating for children with Just For Kids Law

03/24/23 • 39 min

Mangrove is an exploration of the experiences & issues facing the black community. In this series, Jord Hailwood uncovers the experience of black men & boys in the UK today.

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In this episode, I’m interested in exploring the UK's education system and the influence it has on the opportunities, outcomes and experiences of black boys. After doing some research on this, I found some concerning statistics showing a large disparity between exclusion rates among black pupils and their white peers - particularly when looking at black boys. And when looking at black Caribbean students in English schools, we see exclusion rates up to six times higher than those of their white peers in some local authorities.

To get to the bottom of this I’m talking to education solicitors Florence Cole, and Sabrina Simpson, and Policy Officer Ayomide Sotubo. All who work for Just For Kids Law.

Just for Kids Law is a UK charity that works with and for children and young people to hold those with power to account and fight for wider reform by providing legal representation and advice, direct advocacy and support, and campaigning to ensure children and young people in the UK have their legal rights and entitlements respected and promoted, and their voices heard and valued.

So we talk about the concerning statistics, what ought to be done to solve these problems, and the work Just For Kids Law is doing to support young black children going through the exclusion process.

For more information about Just For Kids Law, visit: https://www.justforkidslaw.org/

Credits

Brought to you by Lives of Colour

Hosted by Jord Hailwoord

Produced by Tyra at Foss Creative Studio

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mangrove is an exploration of the experiences & issues facing the black community. In this series, Jord Hailwood uncovers the experience of black men & boys in the UK today.

...

To get to the bottom of this I’m talking to education solicitors Florence Cole, and Sabrina Simpson, and Policy Officer Ayomide Sotubo. All who work for Just For Kids Law.

So we talk about the concerning statistics, what ought to be done to solve these problems, and the work Just For Kids Law is doing to support young black children going through the exclusion process.

For more information about Just For Kids Law, visit: https://www.justforkidslaw.org/

Credits

Brought to you by Lives of Colour

Hosted by Jord Hailwoord

Produced by Tyra at Foss Creative Studio

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previous Episode

identity part 2: identity, class and britishness with Farhan Samanani

Mangrove is an exploration of the experiences & issues facing the black community. In this series, Jord Hailwood uncovers the experience of black men & boys in the UK today.

...

In this episode, I’m interested in gaining a more general understanding of what identity actually means. Both historically and in the context of today’s society.

To understand this, I’m speaking to FUR-Han Sa-Ma-Nar-Knee, a lecturer and researcher of social anthropology, specialising in grassroots community building, everyday co-operation, and the shaping of political consensus in diverse areas.

Furhan’s career has seen him work with both community groups, and national and international organisations, ranging from teenagers in Kilburn, London. To the World Bank and Oxfam.

He has advised on a range of issues around migration, diversity, policy and inclusivity. And has written about his research in the popular press, including articles in Aeon magazine and the Huffington Post.

So we talk about the meaning of identity, why it’s important and his take - from his research- about the role of identity in black masculinity.

For more information about Farhan Samanani visit: https://farhansamanani.net/

Credits

Brought to you by Lives of Colour

Hosted by Jord Hailwoord

Produced by Tyra at Foss Creative Studio

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next Episode

education part 2: black teachers, white curriculums and systemic racism in schools with Jeffrey Boakye

Mangrove is an exploration of the experiences & issues facing the black community. In this series, Jord Hailwood uncovers the experience of black men & boys in the UK today.

...

After talking to the team at Just For Kids Law last episode, I was really keen to hear the perspectives of a black teacher. I wanted to know why schools were struggling to see more black teachers, his experience as a teacher and in teacher training, his perspective on the experience of black boys in the classroom, and what needs to change within the education system.

To get to the bottom of this I’m talking to Jeffrey Boakye who has spent 15 years teaching English to secondary school students.

Jeffrey is an author, broadcaster, educator and writer with an interest in issues surrounding education, race, masculinity and popular culture. Ahead of this interview, I read his recently published the book I Heard What You Said, which gives an unforgettable insight into racism in modern education.

So in this next interview I’m keen to understand Jeffrey’s experience as a teacher and his perspective on what needs to be changed to address the pressing issues at hand.

For more information about Jeffrey, visit:https://www.jeffreyboakye.com/

Credits

Brought to you by Lives of Colour

Hosted by Jord Hailwoord

Produced by Tyra at Foss Creative Studio

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.