Anti-Racism in Education: A Look at Belonging
View the publication here.
Coastal Research, Education, and Advocacy Network (CREAN) has been working on the Anti-Racism in the Education System (ARIE) Project since 2018. Despite ongoing recognition of the need for the collection of demographic data, and the creation and implementation of specific anti-racism policies and legislation across Canada, there continues to be a lack of research and attention paid to the experiences of racialized students in the school system. The ARIE project aims to address this gap and provides research that will support the implementation of anti-racism policy in the Canadian education system.
This topic was brought to CREAN’s attention by racist incidents in the BC school district, by BIPOC students, their parents, and school staff members. As there is little research on racism within the BC education system, where data on racialized student outcomes is often not kept, not much is known about the experiences of racialized students and systemic barriers (e.g., policies, practices) that they experience.
In support of the ARIE Project, this report explores students’ experiences with racism and feelings of belonging in education settings.
Main findings:
Student Experiences of Racism
High Frequency of Racist Incidents: 31.71% of students reported experiencing microaggressions or harassment based on race "often," with 14.63% stating that they always experienced such incidents. The pervasive nature of these experiences negatively impacted students' sense of belonging in school.
Impact on Belonging: A significant portion of students (29.27%) reported that racist remarks "moderately" affected their sense of belonging, with 26.83% noting a "significant" impact, and 21.95% reporting an "extreme" impact.
Sense of Belonging
School Avoidance Due to Safety Concerns: 43.90% of students avoided spaces like cafeterias and lunchrooms due to feelings of discomfort or safety concerns. Bathrooms, locker rooms, and school buses were also frequently avoided, indicating that physical school environments contributed to students' sense of exclusion.
Low Sense of Belonging: 26.83% of students reported that they "rarely" felt a sense of belonging at school, while 12.20% indicated that they never felt a sense of belonging.
Reporting and School Responses
Mixed Satisfaction with School Handling of Incidents: While 68.29% of students reported incidents of racial harassment to school staff, satisfaction with the handling of these incidents was mixed. Only 17.07% were "significantly" satisfied, while 9.76% expressed that they were "not at all" satisfied.
Need for Safe Reporting Mechanisms: Focus group discussions highlighted that many students feel uncomfortable reporting incidents of racism due to fears of inaction or negative consequences.
Intersection of Identity and Experiences
Racial and Ethnic Diversity: The survey captured a diverse group of participants, with 51.16% identifying as African and 13.95% as South Asian. The experiences of exclusion and discrimination were commonly reported among these groups, reflecting systemic racial challenges within schools.
Challenges Faced by Religious and Sexual Minorities: Muslim students (11.63%) and those identifying outside traditional gender binaries or as non-heteronormative faced unique challenges, with compounded experiences of exclusion within the school system.
Impacts of Racism on Academic and Emotional Well-being
Emotional and Academic Strain: The focus groups and survey responses emphasized that experiences of racism had a profound impact on students’ emotional well-being, leading to increased disengagement from both academic and extracurricular activities.
Parental Reports of Emotional Distress: Parents described how racism affected their children's mental health, including increased anxiety and withdrawal from social interactions, as well as a decline in academic performance.