Students at a secondary school in London have staged a protest over a uniform policy and curriculum which have been described as racist.
Since announcing a policy which would not permit hairstyles that ‘block the views of others’ and hijabs that are not ‘too colourful’ last August, Pimlico Academy has faced huge backlash from students and parents.
Students have also spoken out against the school’s inability to recognise the Black Lives Matter movement or Black History Month, and have said concerns about the placement of the union jack – which remains permanently erected outside the school – have been repeatedly ignored.
Over the weekend, graffiti was sprayed onto the walls of the school with slogans such such as ‘White schools for brown kids – are you mad?’, ‘Pimlico Academy…run by racists…for profit!!!’ and ‘Ain’t no black in the Union Jack…’.
Graffiti outside Pimlico Academy over the weekend
Today (March 31), students at the school have staged a sit-down protest on the school ground and are refusing to go to lessons.
Footage of the protest has emerged online where the students can be heard chanting “We want change!”.
Yesterday a member of the senior leadership team asked pupils to cancel the protest but they have been praised for dismissing this request and standing up for their rights.
Shelly Asquith, Health, Safety and Wellbeing Policy Officer at the Trades Union Congress (TUC) said on the social media platform: “Good morning to the pupils of Pimlico Academy school who are refusing to go to class in protest of their head teachers’ racist policy banning Afro hair and ‘colourful’ hijabs. Heroes.”
One pupil said: “We believe the school has unfairly targeted groups of students. The school should protect marginalised races, religions and other groups instead of target them. We should see ourselves and our backgrounds represented in our studies”.