Schools in England are now moving towards a new national curriculum, but what might this mean for anti-racism initiatives in education (Kebede et al., 2025)? The Curriculum Review sets out its concern for social justice and enabling students, regardless of background, to learn and achieve, so it is therefore a good time to problematise and critique (anti)race policy in schools through comparison with another country. BERA’s Learning about Race Equality from Norway event, organised by the Race, Ethnicity and Education special interest group, developed understandings of how race and racism may be seen as being invisible in plain sight in schools and by policymakers (Eriksen, 2024).

England and Norway share many similarities. They are economically stable countries with large-scale immigration of peoples from the Global South. This has implications for education. In the UK, 37 per cent of the school population are from minority ethnic groups, significantly from South Asian, Caribbean and African heritages (Gov.UK, 2024). In Norway around 20 per cent are minority ethnic pupils, largely of indigenous peoples, Pakistani and Somali heritages (Norwegian Ministries, 2022). Despite their multiethnic contexts, Eriksen et al. (2024) suggest that resistance to seeing race as a socially performative presence is embedded within educational structures. Examples of this can be seen in Norway where the case of three Somali sisters whose sustained racial abuse by White students was dismissed as bullying rather than racism (Eriksen et al., 2024). In the UK, a disproportionate number of Black children are excluded from school, due to their natural hairstyles being branded as extreme (BBC, 2020).

Over the past decade in England, acknowledgement of racism in schools has diminished as the rise of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and safeguarding policies have taken precedence (Warner, 2023). Addressing social disadvantage, behaviour and bullying, and expanding benign values such as friendship and kindness (Gov.UK, 2021), are used to promote political impartiality in schools (Gov.UK, 2022). However, those who question the existence of racial inequity, as in the Report of the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities (Gov.UK, 2021), may only be suppressing and displacing, rather than addressing a lack of ethnic representation, narrow curricula and lower attainment of Black children (Tikly, 2022).

‘Those who question the existence of racial inequity … may only be suppressing and displacing, rather than addressing a lack of ethnic representation, narrow curricula and lower attainment of Black children.’

Since refuting former assimilationist policies, Norway declares itself to be open and inclusive to its indigenous and immigrant populations, but this is problematic because everyday racism, lack of opportunities and underachievement in schools persists for racially minoritised pupils (Eriksen et al., 2024). Despite Norway projecting rationality and equality – fuelled by its ‘Exceptionalism’ position as non-colonisers – neoliberal and colonial-style approaches are apparent in schools (Eriksen, 2022). For example, racially minoritised pupils face standardised curricula and attainment discrepancies; and they can be seen as deficient ‘others’ within White normative ideals. Eriksen et al. (2024) call instead for more accurate and nuanced curricula to promote critical thinking for teachers and pupils, better knowledge and understanding of history and societal processes, and empowerment and resistance to racism, that reflect honest and lived realities.

Acknowledgement of racism, and its effects in education in England and Norway, is seen as morally wrong but largely ignored in policy and practice (Eriksen et al., 2024). Schools therefore need to be alert to emerging education policies that suppress racial and cultural expression through lack of awareness and knowledge (Kebede, 2025). Tikly (2022) argues that schools should encompass the complexity and intersectionality of race and racism, and that educators should seek reparative, epistemic and global justice. It is, as Eriksen (2022) asserts, an analytic practice that is for the humanisation and dignity of all people.

*This blog post refers to English education and policies. Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland support their own systems.

Acknowledgement

Thanks to Assistant Professor Kristen Gregers Eriksen for speaking at this event.

References

British Broadcasting Corporation [BBC]. (2020, July 30). Black pupils face trebled exclusion rate in some areas of England. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-53516009

Eriksen, K. G. (2022). Coloniality and national exceptionalism in Norwegian citizenship education: Engaging the ontological baseline. In M. Moncrieffe (Ed.) Decolonising curriculum knowledge: International perspectives and interdisciplinary approaches. Palgrave Macmillan.

Eriksen, K. G., Lore, M., Loftsdottire, K., Mikander, P., & Sund, L. (2024). Coloniality and education in the Nordics. Nordic Journal of Pedagogy and Critique, 10(3) 1–13. https://doi.org/10.23865/ntpk.v10.6338

Gov.UK (2021). Relationships education (Primary): Statutory guidance. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education/relationships-education-primary

Gov.UK (2021). The report of the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-report-of-the-commission-on-race-and-ethnic-disparities

Gov.UK (2024). Schools, pupils and their characteristics: Academic year 2023/24 [Data set]. https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics/2023-24

Gov.UK (2025). Curriculum and Assessment Review: Interim report.  https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6821d69eced319d02c9060e3/Curriculum_and_Assessment_Review_interim_report.pdf

Kebede, D. (2025). Thinking beyond the box: Developing critical curriculum perspectives and culturally responsive pedagogy. Curriculum and Assessment. https://neu.org.uk/sites/default/files/2025-03/NEU3804%20Thinking%20beyond%20the%20box%20%28digital%29%20v3%20%28Compress%29.pdf

Norwegian Ministries. (2022). Migration and Integration 2021–2022: Report for Norway to the OECD.  https://www.regjeringen.no/en/dokumenter/migration-and-integration-20212022/id2959382/#:~:text=The%20report%20M%20igration%20and%20Integration%202021%E2%80%932022%20%E2%80%93,and%20most%20of%202022%2C%20especially%20concerning%20new%20policies

Tikly, L. P. (2022). Racism and the future of antiracism in education: A critical analysis of the Sewell Report. British Educational Research Journal, 48(3), 469–487. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3776

Warner, D. (2023). When being Black & having special educational needs & disabilities converge in children & young people: In conversation with Denise Miller. Research Intelligence, 156. https://www.bera.ac.uk/publication/autumn-2023