The Sunday Telegraph

Failure to teach anti-racism in schools fuelled summer riots, says Labour adviser

A LABOUR education adviser claims that a failure to teach anti-racism in schools helped fuel the summer riots.

Funmilola Stewart, a diversity and inclusion specialist, said last month that beliefs that anti-racism in schools was “inappropri­ate” had contribute­d to the widespread unrest.

She is one of 12 individual­s appointed by Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, to advise on an ongoing review of the school curriculum.

Ms Stewart, a former history teacher, is “trust lead for anti-racism and equality, diversity and inclusion” at the Dixons Academies Trust, which runs 16 academies and one sixth form college in Bradford, Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester.

In August, she wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that the unrest “comes from” a “broken education system” that deemed “anti-racist education inappropri­ate”. Ms Stewart said: “It comes from people questionin­g ‘Why we make everything about race’ instead of questionin­g people’s prejudice.

“It comes from a broken education system which fails to protect racially minoritise­d staff and students whilst simultaneo­usly deeming anti-racist education inappropri­ate.”

Dr Alka Sehgal Cuthbert, the director of Don’t Divide Us, told The Telegraph that Ms Stewart’s remarks “stigmatise­d” those concerned about the “politicisa­tion” of schools.

She said: “The review’s concern should be with ensuring all pupils get access to a curriculum based on the best formal knowledge to date, not promulgati­ng the idea that schools are a substitute for politics.

“If Ms Stewart seriously thinks that the larger group of non-violent protesters were motivated by racism, and can be ‘educated’ out of their legitimate objections and concerns, she is at best, patronisin­g and very out of touch.

“Much worse, by stigmatisi­ng a normal, majority concern about the politicisa­tion of schools, she ensures that the actual minority of far-Right, actual race bigots, become an outlet for more people.

“This is utterly politicall­y irresponsi­ble and a betrayal of a government’s public duty to ensure our schools provide education, not indoctrina­tion.”

The Department for Education was approached for comment.

Ms Stewart has been approached for comment.