Race Equality

What does the policy need to cover?

The former CRE’s statutory code of practice identifies the following as areas that the policy needs to cover. The policy should reflect the character and circumstances of the school and deal with the main areas that are relevant to promoting the general duty.  For example:

  • Pupils’ attainment and progress

  • Curriculum, teaching and learning (including language and cultural needs)

  • Promoting good race relations in the school and the local community

  • Care and assessment

  • Staff recruitment and career development

  • The school’s values

  • Pupil behaviour, discipline and exclusion

  • Racial harassment and bullying

  • Admission and transfer procedures

  • Membership of the school board

  • Involving parents and the community in the school.

To achieve more effective mainstreaming of the policy, the guidance suggests that the document also sets out arrangements for: 

  • Building race equality into the processes for policy planning and development

  • Putting the policy into practice, including a timetable for regular reviews of the policy

  • Monitoring and assessing progress toward meeting any race equality targets and the race equality duty.

'The Duty to Promote Race Equality: A Guide for Education Authorities and Schools in Scotland' (Commission for Racial Equality, 2002) provides a good deal of information and support.

PDF files iconThe duty to promote race equality: A guide for education authorities and schools in Scotland (325 KB)

In providing a framework for the race equality policy, the CRE advises on what the policy should cover, how it should be put into practice and how the duty should be reflected in other policies. On this last point, the guide prompts schools with the following questions:

  • How do you publicly promote good personal and community relations and what steps do you take to prevent racial discrimination?

  • How do you record, investigate and report racist incidents and racial harassment to your education authority?

  • What training do you give staff to make sure they know how to deal firmly, consistently and effectively with racist incidents, racial harassment and bullying?

  • How do you make sure that pupils, parents, guardians and staff know the procedures for dealing with racist incidents and racial harassment?

  • How do you work with the education authority and others to tackle racism and racial harassment in the school and the local area?