Dear the Senior Leadership Team,
Ceci Sutcliffe and India Gill are writing to you today, as Hockerill Anglo-European College white and black alumni, in regard to the events happening on a global scale surrounding the Black Lives Matter Campaign. We firmly believe you, as the Senior Leadership Team of the only International school in Bishops Stortford and the surrounding area, have a fundamental role in shaping how young pupils can use their voice to stand against racism.
Hockerill’s mission statement is to Develop enquiring, knowledgeable, responsible, global citizens through academic excellence. Alongside many alumni in solidarity below, whether we spent 2, 5 or 7 years at HAEC, we appreciate that the environment created did shape us to be well-rounded citizens. However, as a result of the much-needed conversation that has arisen regarding the ingrained racism that remains deep rooted not only in America, but across the world - we would like to encourage Hockerill to pave the way for a new education progressing towards positive change. In order to become not only “global citizens”, but active citizens, it is essential that young pupils learn about BAME history on a much broader scale - not merely condensed into one month.
The unwarranted, unjust deaths of BAME individuals in 2020 alone, include that of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and Belly Mujinga, to name a few. In response to these tragic deaths, a conversation has been sparked across social media, encouraging individuals to engage with one another about racism, and most importantly educate themselves about white privilege, using their voices as a weapon to fight the injustice that still remains in 2020. Across social media, there is a statement trending: “I understand that I will never understand. However, I stand”. In order to stand tall, as a white person supporting minority inequality, schooling is paramount.
As a school that prides itself on its Progressive Curriculum and International Outlook, we believe it is your responsibility to educate young, impressionable pupils of their responsibility to speak up against racism. A school that “encourages its pupils to look outwards so that they can learn through their experience of how people live and work not only in their country but also throughout the world”, we have come to question why we were not taught from a young age about white privilege and the need to actively fight silent racism.
Therefore, we would like to make some suggestions that we feel would have given us the knowledge and thus the confidence to speak up against silent racism. Whilst we are aware that changing the curriculum is a long process, we believe it to be fundamental that Boards that incorporate BAME individuals and histories are adopted. For example, whilst learning the History of Medicine and Surgery is an important aspect of our past, arguably a GCSE foundation on BAME history within and beyond the UK would have paved the way to be active citizens in order to stand up against ingrained societal racism. Six additional alumni have helped compile attached examples of possible suggestions for future consideration.
Furthermore, as part of the Middle Years Programme there were numerous MYP Days with the ambition to develop creative thinking, create solutions to problems, communicate ideas with clarity and think critically. We believe with these criteria’s in mind, MYP days should focus on the pupil’s responsibility as valued global citizens to speak up against racism and to be actively anti-racist.
Many of us continued to do the IB at Sixth Form, and those who did not undertook the Middle Years Programme from Years 7-9. At its core, the MYP program encourages international-mindedness, and teaches students to discover how to use what they learn to take principled action; in writing of this letter, we hope you see that is what we are doing.
In regard to uniform; a topic that has always been of large debate between faculty and students. Whilst we understand that uniform revolves around the notion of inclusivity for those from diverse economic, social and cultural backgrounds, teaching us about professionalism - uniform continues to ignore the intrinsic features that one is born with - specifically, hair. Growing up as a young girl of mixed-ethnicity and heritage, whilst balancing learning how to deal with my own attributes independently, I myself experienced the struggle of adhering to the socially imposed standards of uniform regarding hairstyles.
Hockerill’s uniform rules state that “hair should be neat, tidy and conventional avoiding extremes of colour or fashion” but I ask you, what is considered “conventional” within the realms of your school guidelines and uniform marks? Against the backdrop of the global environment that you are trying to create?
Creating rules such as these begins the process of ostracization from a culture, without allowing the individual to find their feet amongst their own culture and the new-found culture they are joining at a school. This has the potential to seriously affect the self-perception and pride of young girls and boys who are told that their own hair is not acceptable, at such an impressionable stage in their lives.
This ideology of conventionality and conformity within the school’s regulations does not promote inclusivity, as they were created with only Eurocentric features in mind. In fact, this leans heavily on the discriminative terms that are so intertwined in our societal values. The notion of “nappy” hair, historically a derogatory term until the 1960s when it turned into a symbol of agency and resistance, used to describe “unattractive, untamed hair”, is a perfect example of what we as a society and you as an organisation should strive to encourage. The term “nappy” was transformed into a marker of linguistic resistance, psychological resilience, and social power. As the black community responded to discrimination with rejection of ‘white aesthetics’ and a declaration of self-acceptance, by reclaiming the term “nappy” as a symbol of strength and power in an individual.
What the current rules struggle to communicate and understand is that black hairstyles are not solely chosen for fashion, but with functionality. So, we would suggest the rules be reviewed to look more closely at the understated importance that aesthetics can have on these young individuals. Striving to make them the confident future leaders in all aspects of their life, in the true spirit of the International Baccalaureate.
Alongside future Board considerations for specific subjects, together we have compiled resources including books, podcasts, artists and businesses that we believe would be really useful to share with HAEC pupils.
As HAEC, white alumni, I am grateful for the fortunate and privileged education we had whilst growing up. However, I only wish we had a firmer foundation to build on as we now all set ourselves the mission to educate ourselves on white privilege and learn how to be actively anti-racist.
As HAEC, black alumni, I am grateful for the education and life-lessons you have given us, making us into the people we are today. However, it was only later on in life that I learnt that this fundamental education was limited; you are educating your students to be model-citizens without truly understanding those who came before them and the struggles they faced to live in a united society. We ask you to continue their work with education.
We would be more than willing to work with you to help achieve this aim, so please do get in touch if this would be helpful.
We look forward to hearing your reply.
Signed,
Ceci and India
