Culturally Educating
Enriching the curriculum with diversity and inclusivity
Aisha recently developed a program, called What is in a name?, to provide a framework for schools to begin to address the lack of black history in the current curriculum.
The idea was birthed out of a conversation that Aisha had with her neighbour.
Logo by: Emil Taswar
“One day I was talking to my neighbour Whisper, I had always thought it was a nick name and then he explained to me that in his home country of Zimbabwe, children are often named after what their parents would like them to become. Whisper was named by his Grandfather, Whisper meaning ‘quiet person’. It then got me thinking…well what is in a name…?”
Aisha Thomas
The idea being that the concept of ‘what is in a…’ could be applied to so many aspects of life paintings, pictures, music etc. The theme can bridge the gap between different communities, whist making it relatable at the same time. The theme allows students to recognise the contribution of black history, whilst finding a link and connection with their community and understanding of the world.
Teachers reported to Aisha that they were very keen to add 'colour' into the curriculum and support the 'decolonisation of the curriculum' agenda, however, many cited capacity and knowledge as a barrier to change.
Project details: This project was a pilot project for One Bristol Curriculum. Pilot was delivered in three Bristol schools.
Aisha is now in the process of developing phase two!
WORK WITH US
To address the lack of black history in the current curriculum, and beyond.