Becoming antiracist: promoting a fairer, more inclusive and equitable UK ELT sector
English UK's antiracism plan, published in July 2021, is part of our commitment to creating a fairer, safer and better industry for everyone.
The plan outlines our antiracist commitment, approach, vision and strategic aims.
Our action group will help guide and deliver our antiracism action plan. To be successful we must work together at every level, from the English UK team and our Board of Trustees, to staff at member centres and those working in the wider UK international education industry.
We hope you will join us however you can. We welcome comments and suggestions from industry colleagues to help us expand and improve our antiracism work. This plan is not exhaustive. We will continue to update and refine our plans as our knowledge grows.
Aims of our antiracism plan:
Leadership
To achieve real and lasting change, we will lead by example and demonstrate genuine commitment from the top. Decision makers at English UK will prioritise and resource antiracism work, set clear objectives, empower the wider team, support diversity and exemplify inclusive and reflective behaviour
- Promote diversity across English UK's senior team, boards and advisory groups in a sustainable way
- Prioritise antiracism
- Create an action group to help guide and deliver our antiracism action plan
Organisation
To embed antiracism at English UK, we will review all our services, activities and practices through an antiracist lens. We will put racism on the agenda, share our findings and actions, build an inclusive and transparent working culture and lead our members and the UK ELT sector by example.
- Start a conversation about racism at English UK
- Promote diversity across the English UK team in a sustainable way
- Embody antiracism in our language, branding, marketing and communications
- Embed and communicate antiracism at all English UK events and member activities
- Build a culture of respect, openness and inclusion at English UK
- Enshrine antiracism in English UK policy and practice
- Share our plans, findings, actions, mistakes and challenges with full transparency
Members
English UK is a membership association. We represent and promote our members, and help them achieve and maintain the highest standards of teaching and care. This must include inclusive and antiracist practice. We expect, and will help, our members to provide a fair and enriching learning and working environment for everyone.
- Build antiracism into English UK membership rules and code of conduct
- Support increased diversity in English UK member centres
- Support, inform and empower member centres with training, guidance and tools
- Support the creation of an antiracist, inclusive curriculum
Industry
In addition to cultural and systematic discrimination in the UK, the ELT sector faces specific forms of racism including native speakerism and historical connections to imperialism, cultural and racial supremacy. It is up to us to determine the future of our industry. We will work with stakeholders and other leaders across the sector to build a profession that is respectful, inclusive and fair.
- Build support networks for black people and people of colour in UK ELT
- Challenge stereotypes of the UK and UK ELT in partners and agents
- Amplify the voices of black people and people of colour in UK ELT
- Facilitate zero tolerance of racism in UK ELT
- Collaborate across the sector
Beyond
Our antiracism reaches beyond board rooms, classrooms and conferences. Racism is a global issue entangled with other forms of discrimination, material inequality, environmental degradation and a complexity of other factors. We will work to improve the impact our actions have beyond our sector with complementing action plans focused on environmental responsibility and inequality and oppression.
- Develop an environmental action plan
- Develop a discrimination, human rights and equality action plan.
Monitoring effectiveness
Starting with a baseline survey in 2021, we will undertake inclusion and diversity surveys for members and the English UK team every year. This way we will continually evaluate the effectiveness of our actions, identify mistakes and successes, identify new needs or challenges, and improve our antiracism work. We will also share our actions, findings and plans openly so everyone can share comment.
We will share regular updates, findings and details of our activities on the English UK website and digital channels. We welcome feedback, reflections and ideas at any time.
Further reading and news updates
