EDDi XL
Washing the world in whiteness?
Dear subscribers
After a year of repeated open-closed-locked down-let out cycles (often at random and with seemingly little logic), EDDi would like to express our admiration for the resilience of the teachers, support staff, leaders, and governors, who have survived, thrived, and continued to do their best for children’s learning and wellbeing over the last twelve months.
And, not only has international education coped with all that Covid has thrown at it, there has also been some (arguably much needed) soul searching in response to the Black Lives Matter movement.
This week’s EDDi picks up on that theme.
Our lead article is a superb piece by Dr Alex Taggart:
Washing the world in whiteness: international schools’ policy
Supporting this piece, we are fortunate enough to be able to include not only a second article by Alex, but also an equally important reflection on this most important topic by Sadie Hollins.
International Schools: White Anglo-European Islands Of Privilege
Whiteness And International Schools: Carried Along On The Current Of Privilege
The contributors to this Special Edition are simply adding their voices to the growing demand that international and independent schools change, become more honest. It is at the very least disingenuous to continue claiming to teach international mindedness and global citizenship when the reality is your school may very well be unconsciously promoting whiteness.
As Alex puts it:
“The ‘cultural hegemony that promotes white epistemic and ontological ascendency’ is firmly established in elitist education around the world.”
This has to stop.
And every one of us has a part to play in ensuring we put an end to it.
EDDi is happy to give space to the voices calling out this cultural hegemony. If you’d like to share your own voice we are always happy to receive contributions:
contact@eddi.ac
Finally, a reminder that we’d like to feature the writing of student teachers who have gone through their training in tough times
We are looking for between 500-1,000 words (which could be recycled material from essays etc) on the highs, the lows, the challenges, and the lessons learned 'training in tough times'.
The edition is slated for June, with a May 1st deadline for submissions.
More details here: bit.ly/BTMFlier.
Article submissions here: bit.ly/TrainingTough.
Happy reading
EDDi