Dissonance, (dis)respect, and (not) belonging in the school space: BME Muslim student accounts of their experience in Glasgow schools

Abstract

Scottish Government education policies, such as the Curriculum for Excellence, rely on statements about ‘inclusion’, social justice, fairness, and equality for children and young people. However, these values do not apply to all children and young people, particularly non-White students from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds, many of whom feel they are treated as racialised outsiders. This paper has emerged from my doctoral research (2016) and takes the opportunity to further explore the educational experiences of Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) Muslim youth as they prepare to exit compulsory education. In the original study, 17 participants were identified by their schools and agencies as needing support to transition out of compulsory education due to a higher propensity to fall out of education, employment, or training (More Choices, More Chances, 2006), with 14 meeting the criteria of visible ethnic minorities. Eleven of the participants were also of the Muslim faith. This paper focuses on the findings of the 11 Muslim BME young people from the original study, and their responses to the first research question. The research question asked them about their experiences with compulsory education. Participants took part in semi-structured interviews in pairs or small groups of three. Through direct content analysis, three themes emerged: 1. Relationships between young people and their White Scottish peers were weak to non-existent. 2. Relationships between young people and their White Scottish teachers were weak. 3. The young people’s sense of (not) belonging and trust in their schools was strong. Six of the eleven study participants did not feel included in the school environment or treated as equals with their peers. They faced instances of racial discrimination by their teachers. Of the remaining five participants, two were troubled and had to be constantly reassured that the interviews were conducted for research purposes only. They were not required to participate and had the choice of physically leaving the session or contacting the researcher to have their contributions removed from the study. Three of the five participants did not cite unfair treatment; however, they did not seem to recognise or want to acknowledge that episodes of miscommunication and differential treatment shared with the researcher constituted discrimination. The study argues that policy language needs to be specific to address equality and inclusion in the school environment if outcomes are to be improved, particularly when it comes to the experiences of ethnic (and religious) minority students in school in Glasgow, Scotland. The young people feel they do not belong, are tolerated, and do not receive the same courtesy as their White Scottish peers. This paper highlights how racism can play out in education, disenfranchising young people. The paper recommends that policy and practise be aligned to ensure that all students are treated equally. This requires alignment of policy and practice, with strong leadership in schools who focus on racial, social justice, and fairness.