Deeney on the need for a more diverse teaching of history in schools

Troy Deeney, captain of the city's football team, has called for the teaching of black, Asian and minority ethnic history and experiences to be compulsory in the school curriculum.

The change is needed to inform, identify and combat discrimination from an early age according to the strikers.

Deeney has launched a petition and released an open letter to Nadhim Zahawi, the secretary of state for education, revealing the results of a YouGov survey he commissioned.

According to Deeney, the majority of British teachers believe the school system has a racial bias, while only 12% feel they have the power to teach diverse topics.

I believe the current system is failing children from ethnic minorities, and I urge you to review this topic again.

The curriculum offers pupils the chance to study significant figures from black and ethnic minority background and the contributions they have made to the nation, according to a department for education spokesman.

Troy Deeney taking the knee before a Watford game in 2020
Premier League players having been taking the knee in support of racial equality since June 2020

The Black Lives Matter campaign and racial equality were both supported by Deeney while he was at the club.

He wrote about kneeling in the centre of a football pitch twenty months ago.

Almost two years after the death of George Floyd, a quiet has descended on national cultural debate and the issues raised have faded from the news agenda.

Both myself and my family have continued to experience vile racist abuse on social media and, at times, in public, emboldening me even further to use my platform to keep the conversation at the forefront of people's minds.

Deeney had a Jamaican father and his mother had Irish heritage.

The best part about my school was that I got to watch a show about slavery. That was it.

In regards to my own children, I see what they are talking about and the lack of things that they are talking about.

I find it very disappointing that the only representation we have from a black perspective is always negative. We learn a lot about the slave trade and other things.

Everyone has a different lens on the world. At a more youthful level, try to open everyone's eyes a little bit more and open their minds a bit more.

Deeney commissioned a YouGov survey of 1,107 teachers and found that almost half of them think the national curriculum has a racial basis and nearly all of them think the government should do more to support cultural diversity.

If 100,000 signatures are collected, the issue could be debated in Parliament.

He said that they had done research, commissioned surveys, and that teachers were not feeling confident.

I think that is very dangerous because the people we are putting in charge of teaching our kids don't feel confident enough to talk about subjects that are happening in the world.

When you talk about history, it comes under a taboo like "let's not talk about it, let's not disrespect what's gone on before", and nobody wants to do that.

I have never asked for anything to be removed, maybe just add a bit more.

You can see what is happening in Wales. It is mandatory that diversity is taught in the whole school curriculum. It is more engaging with the times that we live in.

All children in Wales will be taught about racism and the contributions of black, Asian and minority ethnic communities under a new curriculum.

The curriculum in our schools offers pupils the opportunity to study significant figures from black and ethnic minority background and the contributions they have made to the nation, as well as helping them understand our shared history.

Schools help young people understand the world around them and their place within it. We are informed by the work of committed individuals and groups when it comes to supporting the teaching of black and minority ethnic history.

In England, it is for schools and teachers to determine the examples, topics and resources used to stimulating and challenge pupils and reflect key points in history.

The government told schools in England to teach sensitive issues in a non-biased way.

It is intended to help teachers cover complex topics, such as the history of the British Empire, without pushing one political view over another.

No subject should be off limits, but teaching must be impartial.

Everyone is going to have an opinion, Deeney said when asked what he would say to anyone concerned that teaching could become politicized or divisive.

Why not have a conversation with teachers who are comfortable and confident and deliver a curriculum that is more representative of all of us?

I expect resistance, I expect online abuse, but I am already living that so what have I got to fear in that regard?

Deeney said no one is saying every single history lesson has to be about black, Asian and mixed ethnicities.

We are saying that when kids are at school, we can learn a little bit about everybody and keep doing that from a young age.

Deeney began his professional career at Walsall before moving to Watford four years later.

He scored 140 goals for the Hornets, helping the club earn promotion to the premier league and reach the FA cup final.

In the summer of 2021, Deeney was released from the club after 11 seasons and signed for his hometown club.

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