Donna
My name is Donna Whitcliffe and my role within education as a Pastoral Lead & Mentor to encourage, guide & support students wellbeing and academic achievement at school, ensuring students achieve to the best of their ability and to be confident about who they are.
I have had many roles during my time at school and was initially employed to support Black families for 12 hours per week. Shortly after my appointment the school was notified of an Ofsted inspection at which point, I became full time although not possible at interview!
I came into education not by my design but by His! I went to university as a mature student with two young children. One on the cusp of going into secondary school and I thought it would be a good example for the two of us to be studying side by side. My plan was to become a social worker. However, in the final year of my degree (Sociology & Social Policy) the one-year social work qualification changed to a 3-year degree. Having just completed 4 years higher education I could ill afford another 3 years.
I had a difference of opinion with one of my tutors at uni. I had written a piece about the poor treatment and prejudices the Aboriginal people have and continue to endure and received a poor grading for it. I then wrote another assignment about education using all black authors. Again, another slating – the tutor saying he had never heard of any other the authors although I had provided an extensive bibliography. It was close to final exams and it left me thinking do I write what they want to hear or what is in my heart. This experience left me thinking about young people in school who do not have the language to articulate themselves or indeed parents to. As much as I was more equipped, I still felt crippled by the system.
I remember when I first started, I was given a class of about 15 young black men who had been labelled as difficult. I found them to be very respectful to me and each other and often would look round to see white staff looking in. They would then ask me “how do you do that?” You cannot teach people you have no love for I would say in my mind. I remember a teacher splitting a class with all the white students on one side and blacks on the other!
I have been involved in many community groups with the aim of equity. I have always believed in nurturing young people who are confident about all that they are and for black people to know of their enduring history and contributions to the world in all areas of human activity. Whilst qualifications are important an empty sack cannot stand! As Marcus Garvey said, “If you have no self-confidence you are twice defeated in the race of life”.
I would describe the centre from which I operate from is one of love and compassion. Would I want that for my child? Young people are so precious, and we have such power to impact their lives for good or evil. We can all name teachers who fell on either side of this even in our 60’s.
I am very much aware that I am a role model – even in my silence young people are watching and learning. Unfortunately, race has been a feature of my educational journey. My earliest memory was whilst in primary school and speaking to friends in my home language a teacher said, “when in Rome do as the Romans do”. I did not understand initially but knew that it was deemed not a good thing to be doing. I have also had situations in schools with my own children which were exceedingly difficult to navigate.
Our young people often when they are asked what they want to do in their careers cite football players or singers/rappers. This is because this is all they see as black men and women’s level of success. They need to see us in all areas of success and not the one the media pushes. Success is the black man doing even a basic job and raising his family strong. Success is not just about material goods. That is one of many reasons #RepresentationMatters.
Garvey argued that, in his time which is the same argument now, that the education system was created by white men and for white men. Therefore, he asked, and we still ask, why use that education system when it was not created for them? He believed that white men developed an educational system with the sole intent to control others for their benefit. My knowledge of Social Policy confirms this to be so.
