Against racism in school and leisure activities

The Department of Education and Youth (Skóla- og frístundasvið) is tasked with preparing an action plan against racism in school and leisure activities in Reykjavík. It will be used when racist incidents occur in the school environment and will also serve as a guide for the education and continuous training that needs to take place within the school community. The goal of the action plan is to ensure clear procedures are in place for how to respond to racist incidents so that it is not up to children or their parents to respond to racial prejudice and racism in the school environment. When such incidents occur, it is important that the school community responds quickly and effectively. The action plan also needs to be visible. As it is not possible to foresee all incidents that may occur or under what circumstances racism may manifest, it is important that dialogue and education take place regularly and that improvements are made where necessary. The action plan will cover school and leisure activities and work in youth centers, ensuring that nothing in the activities is exclusionary for children and young people with dark skin. Measures will ensure that all staff and managers receive regular education. It is proposed that the Department of Education and Youth consult with parties experienced in this field, e.g., activists and those who have provided education in this area, and request their assistance in formulating the action plan. Those involved in the work will receive remuneration for their contribution. Any increase in costs will be approved with an addendum to the budget.

It is important to have visible procedures on how to address racism within school and leisure activities. In response to an inquiry from the Socialist Party of Iceland regarding how racist incidents are handled within Reykjavík's school and leisure activities, it is stated that when racial prejudice occurs within the city's primary schools, such incidents are considered a violation of school rules or a second-degree behavioral deviation, and procedural rules are followed according to the severity of the violation.

The response letter also states that in all cases, the student or students involved are spoken to. If the violation is severe or repeated, parents/guardians are informed of the violation and summoned to a meeting at the school. Measures deemed necessary at the time are taken. Sometimes it is sufficient to speak with students, with or without parents/guardians, but sometimes it is necessary to respond in other ways, such as by providing special education on diversity, human rights, and racial prejudice for students.

An overview of various education and counseling available to staff is also included in the response letter to empower and strengthen staff to identify and respond to racial prejudice. The education is discussed based on different school levels.Hereyou can read the full response letter.

An action plan against racism needs to be in place, it needs to be visible, and the education needs to be robust and regular. As an example of visible procedures, the website of the Department of Education and Youth shows safety procedures for the operation of leisure centers. It discusses factors to consider when staff are traveling with children. Initially, the trip needs to be prepared, and what should be included when traveling with the group of children needs to be reviewed. Then the entire trip needs to be prepared, ensuring that sufficient staff are present to manage the group of children, that the children are well supervised, and procedures then apply to different spaces.Hereyou can see how safety procedures are explained and a clear picture of what needs to be ensured is drawn.

Preparing to deal with racism is by no means the same as going on a field trip outside the walls of the leisure center, but in this, as in so many other things, preparation is important. It is necessary to know where to start, what aspects need to be covered, what knowledge the group has, whether it has all the tools and equipment to respond to incidents that may arise, and therefore it is important to have a plan in place.

Various things are in place in the school environment; for example, a checklist that assesses the preschool environment was mentioned in the aforementioned response letter from the Department of Education and Youth. It states, for instance, that there should be diverse music in the preschool that reflects the background of the children, their families, and staff. Despite this, songs can be found on the websites of the city's preschools that discuss skin colors in a rather unpleasant way. Even if these songs are not being used in the preschools, it is important to transfer these elements and remove what is exclusionary.

The purpose of this proposal is to present an action plan so that clear procedures are in place for how to respond to racism in school and leisure activities, so that children and their guardians do not feel it is their responsibility to address the problem. The goal is also that the action plan not only responds to incidents when they arise, but also ensures that the school community is constantly vigilant about what needs to be reviewed, improved, and corrected.

Manifestations of racism and racial prejudice are unfortunately many and can be found widely in our society; examples include microaggressions and exclusion due to skin color. An example of microaggression directed against people and children with dark skin is, for instance, when it is assumed that the person is of foreign origin and does not speak Icelandic, when such is not the case at all. It is important that when prejudice occurs due to skin color, it is addressed as such. Therefore, education on racism needs to take place, and an action plan with clear objectives needs to be put forward. Education on the diversity of society is important in all work, and here it is focused on the school community, against racism.