Understanding equality - Equality and Human Rights ...

Equality is about ensuring that every individual has an equal opportunity to make the most of their lives and talents. Understandingequality Home Secondaryeducationresources Usefulinformation Understandingequality Pagesinthissection SSecondaryeducationresources Lessonplanideas Usefulinformation Whyteachequalityandhumanrights? Understandingequality Understandinghumanrights Equalitycasestudies Humanrightscasestudies Glossaryofterms Usefullinks Secondaryeducationresourceacknowledgementsandtestimonials Assemblyplans Lessonvideos Training Whatisequality? Equalityisaboutensuringthateveryindividualhasanequalopportunitytomakethemostoftheirlivesandtalents.  Itisalsothebelief thatnooneshouldhavepoorerlifechancesbecauseofthewaytheywereborn,wheretheycomefrom,whattheybelieve,orwhethertheyhaveadisability. Equalityrecognisesthathistoricallycertaingroupsofpeoplewithprotectedcharacteristics suchasrace,disability,sexandsexualorientation haveexperienceddiscrimination.  Wheredoesequalitycomefrom? ThedevelopmentofBritain’santi-discriminationlawstookplacearoundthe1970s,aimingtotackleunfairdiscriminationtowardssomegroupsofpeopleineducation,employmentandtheprovisionofservices. Forexample,theSexDiscriminationActwasintroducedin1975tostopdiscriminationduetoaperson’ssex.Sexdiscriminationfrequentlyoccurredinthepast,particularlyintheworkplaceandspecificallytowardswomen. Thisisoneofmanyanti-discriminationlawsthatwereintroducedtoprotectpeoplewithparticularcharacteristics: EqualPayAct1970 SexDiscriminationAct1975 RaceRelationsAct1976 DisabilityDiscriminationAct1995 EmploymentEquality(ReligionandBelief)Regulations2003 EmploymentEquality(SexualOrientation)Regulations2003 EmploymentEquality(Age)Regulations2006 EqualityAct(SexualOrientation)Regulations2007 TheEqualityAct2010wasbroughtintobringtheseacts together. AlltheactsmentionedabovehavebeenreplacedbytheEqualityAct2010. Equalitytoday Wehavemadehugeprogresstowardsamoreequalsociety. Todaythevastmajorityofusarestudying,workingormakingfriendswithpeoplefromotherethnicbackgrounds. Someoutdatedstereotypesaboutwomenhavebeguntofade. Minorityethnicgroupswhichusedtolagfarbehindineducationalperformancehavebeguntocatchup. Therehavebeenhugechangesinattitudestowardslesbian,gayandbisexualpeople.  Disabledpeoplealsohavemorerightsthaneverbefore.Thesocialmodelofdisabilityproposesthatbarriers,negativeattitudesandexclusionbysociety aretherealfactorsdefiningwhoisdisabledandwhoisnot. ForfactsandresearchintoequalityinBritain,referourworkonIsBritainFairer.  TheEqualityAct2010 TheEqualityAct2010prohibitsallemployers,serviceprovidersandprovidersofeducation,fromdiscriminatingagainst,harassingorvictimisingindividualswithprotectedcharacteristics. Unlawfuldiscriminationwouldbethingslike: refusingtoadmitachildtoasschoolasapupilbecauseoftheirrace  discouragingafemalestudentfromundertakingacourseinEngineering Anyindividualwhobelievesthattheyhavebeendiscriminatedagainst,harassedorvictimisedasdefinedbytheEqualityAct2010cantakeaclaimtoatribunalorcourt.Legalactionwouldnormallybestartedwithinsixmonthsoftheunlawfulact. Tomeettheneedsofdisabledpeople,theEqualityAct2010statesthatreasonableadjustmentscanbemadefordisabledpeople,andthatitisnotunlawfuldiscriminationtotreatdisabledpeoplemorefavourablythannon-disabledpeoplebecauseoftheirdisability. FormoreinformationontheEqualityAct2010,refertotheguidanceforschoolsproducedbytheDepartmentforEducation. HowistheEqualityAct2010relevanttoyoungpeople'slives? Muchharmfuldiscriminatorybehaviour,suchasbullying,comesfromalackofunderstandingfordiversecultures,lifestyles,beliefsanddifferencesbetweenindividuals. Educatingyoungpeopleaboutidentities,diversity,equalityandhumanrightshelpsthemlearntorespect,celebratedifferenceandhelptackleprejudiceanddiscrimination. Itisalsoimportantthattheyareawareofthelawsthatprotectthemfromdiscrimination,andknowhowtospeakoutonissuesofconcernorhowtogethelpsothateverystudenthasequalopportunitytoreachtheirpotentialandmakethemostoftheirlives. Whenmakingsubjectorcareerchoices,accessingeducation,buyingorusingservices,ormakingfriendswiththeirpeers,equalityisanimportantconceptthataffectsyoungpeople’sliveseveryday. Positiveaction TheActalsoincludesprovisionsforpositiveaction,whichenablesschoolstoprovideadditionalbenefitstosomestudentstoaddressdisadvantage,whereitisestablishedthatindividualswithprotectedcharacteristicssufferdisadvantage,havedifferentneedsorhavelowparticipation. Itwouldbepositiveactiontoencouragegirlstotakemoresciencesubjectswhereitwasestablishedthattheywereunderrepresented. Takingpositiveactionisalsoawaythataschoolcandemonstrateitiscarryingitsdutiesunderthe PublicSectorEqualityDuties(PSED).  WhatarethePublicSectorEqualityDuties(PSED)? Maintainedschoolsandacademies(thosethatarefundedandcontrolledbythelocaleducationauthority),includingfreeschools,musthavedueregardtothePSED. Thismeansthattheymusttakeactivestepstoidentifyandaddressissuesofdiscriminationwherethereisevidenceof: prejudice harassmentorvictimisation lackofunderstanding disadvantage lackofparticipationforindividualswithprotectedcharacteristics ThePSEDisforallpublicauthorities,soitisnotdefinedspecificallyforschools.  Anydecisionsmadeonhowtotakestepstoeliminatediscrimination,advanceequal opportunities andfostergoodrelationsmustbemadeonevidence,notonassumptionsorstereotypes. Howdoesthepublicsectorequalitydutyapplywhendealingwithbullying? ThePSEDcanbeamechanismforaschooltotacklebullying. Schoolsshouldtakeproactivestepstoidentifywherebullyingistakingplace,throughinformationandevidencegathering.  Theycanthenputintoplacegoodpracticesolutionswhichreduceincidentsofbullying,whereitisdemonstratedthisbullyingisagainstparticulargroups. Theinformationgatherediscrucialininformingtheanti-bullyingprogramme. ItwillalsobeusedtosupportthenewOfstedinspectionframeworkforschoolswhichincludesconsiderationofpupilsactingsafelyandfeelingsafeandfreefrombullying.Theseareimportant contributoryfactorsinthejudgementonbehaviourandsafety. Information-gathering,suchasparentandpupilsurveys,will formpartoftheevidence-baseforthesejudgements. TheEqualityAct2010dealswiththewayinwhichschoolstreattheirpupilsandprospectivepupilsbuttherelationshipbetweenonepupilandanotherisnotwithinitsscope. Therefore,aschoolwouldnotbeconductingunlawfuldiscriminationifonepupilbulliedanotherpupilbecausetheyweregay. However,ifaschooldidnottreathomophobicbullyingasseriouslyasbullyingwhichrelatestootherprotectedcharacteristics,thenitmaybeguiltyofunlawfuldiscriminationundertheEqualityAct. Lastupdated:02Aug2018 Pagesinthissection Secondaryeducationresources Lessonplanideas Lesson1-Actionsandconsequences Lesson2-Developingempathy Lesson3-Identityandcharacteristics Lesson4-Diversity Lesson5-Prejudiceandstereotypes Lesson6-Discrimination Lesson7-EqualityAct2010 Lesson8-Whatarehumanrights? Lesson9-Howdohumanrightswork? Lesson10-Balancinghumanrights Lesson11-Influencingattitudes Lesson12-Takingaction Usefulinformation Whyteachequalityandhumanrights? Understandingequality Understandinghumanrights Equalitycasestudies Humanrightscasestudies Glossaryofterms Usefullinks Secondaryeducationresourceacknowledgementsandtestimonials Assemblyplans Lessonvideos Training InitialTeacherTrainingresources Videotraining