Is there any justice in being other than 'white' in Britain?

Over the past five years numerous headlines have deconstructed racism as a political event. There is no escape from the politics of these events in the media; for example, Racism on the Rise in Britain’ (Guardian, 2014); Immigrants make UK racist (The Independent, 2014); Cameron to hold football racism summit (Sunday Times, 2012); and, You can't ignore racism and raise anti-racist children (Guardian, 2015). Following Prime Minister John Major’s political rhetoric calling for policy [to] be colour blind (1997:7) and Blair’s commitment in the 1990s to address race inequities in schools (DfEE, 1997) there is a need for fresh thinking. Especially since behind such political rhetoric there was only superficial support to challenge racism (Gillborn, 2009). Indeed, on a wider horizon, despite education permeating the warp and weft of Western societies, the politics of ‘White supremacy’ (more commonly identified as racism) is so ingrained in institutional and political structures in the UK (Taylor, 2009), its grounding assumptions remain largely ignored

The significance of further education for black males

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the lived educational realities of black male students studying in further education (FE) colleges to understand how these experiences compare to their experiences of statutory education. It describes the way in which students perceived and received education in both sectors and highlights the similarities and variations between the two. Design/methodology/approach: Ethnographic methods including focus groups, individual interviews and naturalistic observations were used to investigate black male students' perceptions of FE. These accounts were compared to their memories of compulsory schooling experiences to establish differences and similarities between sectors and to determine which educational approaches black male students identified as most useful. Findings: The research established black males perceived there were significant differences between the two sectors and these differences had impacted on their ability to learn. These findings provide a useful reference point for educators seeking to evaluate their organisation's education provision for black male students. Social implications: This paper provides suggestions on what sorts of educational opportunities are appropriate and accessible for black males and which approaches help to support their educational achievement. Originality/value: There are little research data which specifically discuss black male students’ experience of the FE sector. This paper will help teachers and managers at all organisational levels in FE (and in schools) review their provision and consider adopting approaches that may help to enhance black students' educational journeys

Back on track: exploring how a Further Education college re-motivates learners to re-sit previously failed qualifications at GCSE

Underachievement at GCSE level has significant effects on an individual’s life chances.Each year, around half of 16-year-olds leave school without having achieved a full level two qualification (five GCSEs at A*-C including English and maths). Many of these students enrol on a programme of study at local Further Education (FE) colleges. Recent Coalition government reforms, including Raising the Participation Age (RPA) and compulsory English and Maths study up to aged 19, have reaffirmed FE as an agent to improve students' life chances andact as a catalyst to reduce youth unemployment. FE colleges provide a 'second chance' for learners who have failed at school. This research shows students who have previously attended low-performing schools, arrive with low motivation, low levels of self-efficacy and a negative perception of education. Focus group discussions with GCSE resit students studying at FE, followed by individual interviews, revealed that school experience of unprofessional teacher-pupil relationships, a lack of discipline, inconsistently applied sanctions, a lack of academic support and prevalent low level disruption all contributed to demotivating the students. The data revealed students’ experience at college was significantly different when compared to secondary school. Professional and supportive relationships with teachers, classroom management strategies leading to learner ownership and autonomy, consistently applied behaviour management practices and visible senior leadership, enabled learners to reengage in education at FE and successfully resit their GCSE qualifications

Cyanobacterial crust in Hong Kong and comments on future research

The existence of cyanobacterial crust in Hong Kong under both experimental and natural conditions was noted. Thirty0three cyanobacterial species were identified from the soil surface at the site of an erosion experiment. Eleven species were unicellular and 22 filamentous. Fourteen were non-heterocystous and 8 heterocystous cyanobacterial species. None of the species were obligate terrestrial species. Species abundance was measured for one year, and clear seasonal and aseasonal groups of species were established. Macro-environmental data were reported, including soil characteristics, rainfall, rainfall variability and pH, both soil and surface runoff. While the crusts appeared to be fairly stable, except at typhoon intensities, further work is needed to establish degrees of temporal and spatial variation. Non-crust forming cyanobacteria grew on the soil surface under grass and fern. We discuss the future research outlining the potential uses of cyanobacteria in substrate remediation both as an aid to aggregate stability on cut slopes and as a means of accelerating natural plant succession on cut and cement plastered slopes.published_or_final_versio

Managing higher education brands with an emerging brand architecture: the role of shared values and competing brand identities

Corporate branding is a strategic issue for universities as the global higher education (HE) marketplace is becoming increasingly competitive and there is pressure to differentiate. Yet it is unclear how universities develop and manage brand strategies, and whether they draw upon any meaningful connections to the multiple stakeholders and sub-cultures engaged with a university’s brand. Using qualitative data gathered from an education faculty within an established UK university, this study found the faculty and university had competing brand identities and images. A strong faculty brand emerged co-created through the shared teacher related values of staff and external partners. This study contributes to the brand strategy literature by applying branding concepts to the under-researched HE context and proposing a new, more nuanced brand architecture model not yet reported in the branding literature which more accurately reflects the management of sub and corporate HE brands

A Scoping Review of Barriers and Facilitators to Pap Testing in Women with Disabilities and Serious Mental Illnesses: Thirty Years After the Americans with Disabilities Act

Background: Thirty years after the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed, promising equal access to health services for people with disabilities and serious mental illness, research on Pap testing continues to uncover health disparities among women with disabilities and women with serious mental illnesses, including those that identify as an ethnic/racial minority. Aim: The purpose of this paper is to describe and present the literature on the barriers and facilitators women with disabilities and women with serious mental illnesses face with receiving a Pap test using the social ecological model. We also examined the degree to which racial/ethnic minority women were included in these articles. Method: A scoping review was conducted where the research team searched United States academic literature from 1990 through February 2020 in PubMed, Medline, and CINAHL using general subject headings for disability, mental illness, and Pap testing. Results: Thirty-two articles met inclusion criteria. More barriers than facilitators were mentioned in articles. Barriers and facilitators are organized into three groups according to social ecological model and include individual (e.g., socioeconomic status, anxiety, education), interpersonal (e.g., family, living environment), and organizational factors (health care provider training, health care system). Participant’s race/ethnicity were often reported but minoritized populations were often not the focus of articles. Conclusions: More articles discussed the difficulties that women with disabilities and women with serious mental illnesses face with receiving a Pap test than facilitators to Pap testing. Additional research should focus on the intersectionality race/ethnicity and women with disabilities and women with serious mental illnesses in relation to Pap testing