Closed petition Reform the National Curriculum on the basis of equality and BAME representation

Closed on 18 December 2020

We are calling for the Department for Education to commission and implement the findings of a task and finish group of educational stakeholders who should review the National Curriculum and suggest reforms in the context of equality and representation of BAME/BEM/Black communities.

Under the public sector equality duty public authorities are required to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations. It is not clear the current National Curriculum achieves this in respect of BAME/BME/Black groups, so this should be urgently reviewed, and any recommended reforms implemented.

1,621 signatures

1,621 of 10,000 signatures required to get a Government response

Petition progress

View all updates for this petition, with the most recent first.

21 April 2021

Related activity

Ministerial statement on the report of the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities

On Tuesday 20 April, the Minister for Equalities Kemi Badenoch MP gave a statement to the House of Commons on the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities.

The statement follows the Government's publication of the report of the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-report-of-the-commission-on-race-and-ethnic-disparities

Watch the statement here: https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/b586787a-eb7f-409b-b20e-9cb31d21ddd0?in=13:38:40

Read the transcript here: https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2021-04-20/debates/1502466F-D06B-402A-B7C0-03452FFB1DA9/CommissionOnRaceAndEthnicDisparities

Ministerial statements are a way for Ministers to bring an important matter to the attention of the House. Find out more about them here: https://www.parliament.uk/about/how/business/statements/

What did the report say about the curriculum?

The Commission considered the extent to which children acquire a proper grounding in the national story, including its multi-ethnic character, and recommended that the Department for Education work with an appointed panel of independent experts to produce a well-sequenced set of teaching resources to tell the multiple, nuanced stories that have shaped the country we live in today.

Read the report's section on teaching an inclusive curriculum here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-report-of-the-commission-on-race-and-ethnic-disparities/education-and-training#making-of-modern-britain-teaching-an-inclusive-curriculum

What is the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities?

The Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities (CRED) has been set up by the Government to review inequality in the UK, focusing on areas including poverty, education, employment, health and the criminal justice system. The Commission, which is independent of the Government, will look at outcomes for the whole population.

Find out more about the Commission here: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/commission-on-race-and-ethnic-disparities
18 December 2020

Petition closed
24 November 2020

Related activity

Share your views on ethnic disparities and inequality in the UK

The Government has launched a consultation on ethnic disparities and inequality in the UK, and want to hear from members of the public. There are ten questions, and you can answer any or all of them.

One of the questions is: How should the school curriculum adapt in response to the ethnic diversity of the country?

You can find out more about the consultation and contribute here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/ethnic-disparities-and-inequality-in-the-uk-call-for-evidence/ethnic-disparities-and-inequality-in-the-uk-call-for-evidence

The closing date for responses is Monday 30 November 2020.

The Petitions Committee has been working jointly with the Women and Equalities Committee to look into Black history and cultural diversity in the curriculum. You can find out more about their work so far, watch the evidence sessions, and read the transcripts here:

https://committees.parliament.uk/work/739/black-history-and-cultural-diversity-in-the-curriculum/

What is the Petitions Committee?

The Petitions Committee is a cross-party group of MPs that considers e-petitions submitted on Parliament’s petitions website and public (paper) petitions presented to the House of Commons. It is independent of the Government.

Find out more about the Committee: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/

Get real-time updates on the Committee's work by following them on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/HoCPetitions

Find out more about how petitions work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGEOraE08Jk&feature=youtu.be

Find out more about the Women and Equalities Committee:
https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/328/women-and-equalities-committee/

Find out more about the Education Committee:
https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/203/education-committee/

These are ‘select committees’. Find out how Select Committees work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_2RDuDs44c
3 November 2020

Related activity

MPs to examine Black history and cultural diversity in the curriculum

The Petitions Committee (the group of MPs who oversee petition.parliament.uk) will hear from petition creators and other campaigners and experts in an 'evidence session' on Black history and cultural diversity. This session is the result of the petition you signed and others calling for changes to the curriculum which have received hundreds of thousands of signatures.

The Petitions Committee will be working with the Women and Equalities Committee and MPs from the Education Committee.

Find out more about the session: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/news/120411/petitions-committee-announces-joint-evidence-session-on-black-history-and-cultural-diversity-in-the-curriculum/

Watch the session live at 2.30pm on Thursday 5 November: https://youtu.be/WjwNciEYe9s

What is the Petitions Committee?

The Petitions Committee is a cross-party group of MPs that considers e-petitions submitted on Parliament’s petitions website and public (paper) petitions presented to the House of Commons. It is independent of the Government.
You can get updates on their work by following the Committee on Twitter @HoCpetitions or on their website: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/
Find out more about how petitions work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGEOraE08Jk&feature=youtu.be

Find out more about the Women and Equalities Committee:
https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/328/women-and-equalities-committee/

Find out more about the Education Committee:
https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/203/education-committee/

These are ‘select committees’. Find out how Select Committees work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_2RDuDs44c
18 June 2020

Petition published

This petition can now be signed.

If this petition gets 10,000 signatures, government will respond to it.

If this petition gets 100,000 signatures, it will be considered for debate in Parliament.

This petition will stay open until 18 December 2020.

Closed petition Reform the National Curriculum on the basis of equality and BAME representation

Petition progress

Related activity

What did the report say about the curriculum?

What is the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities?

Petition closed

Related activity

The closing date for responses is Monday 30 November 2020.

Related activity

What is the Petitions Committee?

Petition published

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