Call for BAME history to be taught in schools

THOUSANDS of petitioners have called for the history of BAME communities to be taught in Welsh schools.

A petition asking the Welsh Government to educate pupils on subjects such as British colonialism and slavery has been signed by more than 30,000 people since it was launched days ago.

The petition follows a global wave of Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death.

Angharad Owen, a postgraduate history student at Manchester University, said the protests offered an opportunity for the Senedd to recognise the need for inclusion of these subjects and the impact that they have had on BAME communities.

The student, who has been studying black history throughout her undergraduate and postgraduate degree, said: “One of the basest ways in which institutionalised racism and privileging of white history can be combated is through the education of future generations.

“The work of BAME-led educational group the Black Curriculum initiative, who campaign to ensure the inclusion of black-lives narratives in the UK curriculum, have been greatly inspirational in this.

“Resources produced by the Wales-based 1919 Race Riots Collective also highlight that the Welsh educational curriculum can draw on significant histories and experiences in this endeavour. To quote Hadassah Radway, ‘Black History in Wales, is Welsh history,’” added Angharad.

The 1919 Race Riots was an event that drew national attention at the time, but is rarely if ever spoken about in schools throughout Wales today.

The riots, sparked by a clash between races due to a lack of housing and job shortages throughout Cardiff and Newport, resulted in three deaths, hundreds more were injured and houses were burned to the ground.

The petition will now be debated in the Senedd, where the threshold for a petition to be discussed is 5,000 signatures.

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “The Education Minister has welcomed the engagement with the new curriculum for Wales and has previously spoken extensively about the histories and stories of Wales as a core aspect of each Area of Learning and Experience.”