Young people’s lives are complex. If we want to continue delivering education that’s relevant and meaningful, we need to further understand how racism and exclusion are showing up in classrooms. This is why we are issuing an open call for research collaboration with academics.
Harmful attitudes in the classroom
Unfortunately, homogenising comments from staff are a regular occurrence for us. We hear educators suggest that a student’s “culture” or religion is a barrier to learning, while rarely being able to explain what they mean. Whole communities are spoken about as if they are one voice, and differences within them are ignored.
This matters because RSE isn’t just another subject. It’s about preparing young people for life, helping them form meaningful relationships, and supporting their lifelong sexual and reproductive health. When racism and bias go unchallenged, those opportunities are lost.
Why we need research now
Image by Evie K
There is very little research on how educators’ cultural competencies, or lack of them, affect young people’s experiences in RSE. What guidance does exist often falls back on broad-brush assumptions, such as “what people of X culture believe.” This doesn’t reflect reality. Young people within the same community often hold diverse views, shaped by their own identities, families, and experiences.
If we don’t investigate and address these issues, we risk leaving the needs of marginalised young people unmet. The harm can last a lifetime.
Our call to action
That’s why we’re launching an open call for academics to collaborate with us. We’re looking for researchers who want to take an activist approach: reflexive, dynamic, and committed to generating practical recommendations we can use immediately.
As a small charity, we can act fast. We work in both rural and urban schools across the UK, in high-need communities and SEND provisions. We are in classrooms every day, hearing directly from young people.
This gives us both the access and the responsibility to make change.
Through this collaboration, we want to:
raise awareness of harmful attitudes and practices we see daily;
give educators tools to deconstruct racist ideas and challenge them in their own practice;
encourage educators to stop making assumptions and start listening to young people, even when that means confronting internalised racism.
Join us
We believe this work has the power to transform RSE.
If you are an academic interested in joining this project, we invite you to submit a short proposal (up to 500 words) by the end of October 2025 to: info@schoolofsexed.org
For an informal chat, you can contact Emma via emma@schoolofsexed.org.