BECON

The Centre for Educational Success (CES) has today launched a new publication for parents entitled:

Race Equality and Schools: A Guide for Parents and Carers

This guide has been produced to help parents and carers to understand the responsibility that schools have to address race equality and suggests what parents can do to support schools to raise educational achievement.

A National Conference giving you the choice to add your voice to the Equality Bill

The National Equality Partnership together with CHANGE, JUST West Yorkshire and the Voluntary Community Sector Equality and Human Rights Network Yorkshire and Humber invite you to a National Conference.

If you are an infrastructure organisation, this will be your chance to:

• Learn about the proposed changes to the public sector duties

• Explore what they mean for your organisation and those you support

• Add your voice to the Government Equalities Office specific duties consultation, which is ending on 30th September.

Equalities experts were left unconvinced by a minister who strongly denied accusations of a government plan to substantially roll back Britain’s race laws

Speaking in Birmingham yesterday, equalities minister Michael Foster gave categorical assurances that the new Equalities Bill did not represent a step backwards when it came to race equality, or any other equalities ‘strand.’

But a sceptical audience of equality practitioners continued to press the minister, claiming that his clear denials stood in start contrast to the proposals they had studied.

Tomorrow, a minister from the Equalities Office is due to address the fourth and final official regional consultation event, to be held in London. The consultation period lasts until the end of September.

Experts are alarmed that parts of the Equalities Bill, currently going through parliament, amount to nothing less than a bonfire of ethnic monitoring, allowing public authorities to cease monitoring BME staff by grade.

The government also plan to ditch the Race Equality Schemes, used by town halls and the police to strategically plan services and ensure there is no discrimination in service delivery.