Equality and Diversity for International Schools

Introduction

In this course, we will cover:

• what equality and diversity mean and how they affect you
• barriers that can prevent equality from being realised
• key legislation and both employers’ and employees’ responsibilities in relation to it.

Riddle

A young boy and his father are in a car accident. The father dies at the scene. The boy is transported to the hospital,
taken immediately into surgery but the surgeon steps out of the operating room and says, “I can't operate on this
boy – he is my son.”

How is this possible?

The surgeon is the boy’s mother.

Because of unconscious bias, gender stereotypes and conditioning, some people are unable to reach a conclusion
with this simple riddle. The surgeon could be the boy’s mother. Of course, this does not mean that anybody unable
to answer the riddle is sexist, but it does say a lot about gender roles, relationships, and our expectations of certain
careers.

For most of us, treating people equally and appreciating people’s differences is the basis of being a good citizen.
For public, private, and voluntary organisations, it is essential to their success; so much so that many ensure that the
workforce they employ reflects the different customers they serve.

The law and definitions

Laws

Anti-discrimination legislation which helps regulate the treatment of certain groups differs across countries and as
such, the dynamics of equality and diversity in practice and how it is followed varies.

It is important to note that each country has a different set of rules in relation to what are seen as ‘protected
characteristics’, or what passes for discrimination, and you should research the laws that apply in your own state,
territory, or nation.

Here are some examples of anti-discrimination laws that are in place globally.

European Union
Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union
Within the Charter each EU country will follow variations to enforce anti-discrimination provisions.

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United Kingdom
Equality Act 2010

Australia
Australia does not have one overarching anti-discrimination law, but the Australian Human Rights Commission has
introduced specific federal anti-discrimination laws, such as:

• Age Discrimination Act 2004

• Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986
• Disability Discrimination Act 1992
• Racial Discrimination Act 1975
• Sex Discrimination Act 1984

Individual states, provinces, and territories will also have laws in operation, in addition to federal law.

Equality and equity

But what do we mean when we talk about equality and diversity, and what is the difference between the two?

The term ‘equality’ means that everyone should be treated equally. It recognises that everyone has individual needs
and that they have the right to have their needs respected. Equality also means that everyone’s voice and opinion
should carry equal weight, regardless of background, age, sex, and other protected characteristics.

Equality is not quite the same as equity; an equitable solution for fairness goes further than the even distribution of
opportunities and resources. Instead, it allocates the exact resources and support that each individual needs for
them to access opportunity. Equity exists to address the imbalances of society to make it more equal.

For example, children from low-income backgrounds may require more support and funding to attend the same
university as their friends. To meet the needs of those without sufficient home internet access, a library or
community centre in one area may have longer opening hours, more computers and printers, or more frequent
support sessions than a community centre in another wealthier area.

Diversity

The term ‘diversity’ means that our background, knowledge, skills, aptitudes, and experiences are all different and
that our differences should be valued and appreciated through inclusion, discussion, and shared space.

Employers and services have ignored certain differences such as background, personality, and work style. However,
individual and group diversity needs to be considered to ensure that everybody's needs, and requirements are
understood and responded to. This is particularly true within employment practice and service design and delivery.

These approaches recognise that to provide accessible services, and to ensure we promote inclusive working
environments, organisations need to respond differently to both individuals and groups.

In some organisations, they won’t say ‘equality and diversity’, but will instead use the term EDI – Equality, Diversity,
and Inclusion. These organisations are often academic, governmental, financial, or healthcare-related, but
companies outside of these sectors also use the term.

Many countries have specific grounds for discrimination. The table lists some examples.

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aspects, Tes Global Ltd exclude their liability of the consequences of any errors, omission or incorrect statements to the fullest extent permitted by law and Tes Global Ltd make no warranty or
representation as to the accuracy, completeness or fitness for purpose of any statements or other content in the course.

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UK (referred to as Protected Characteristics) Age, marriage and civil partnership, sex,
disability, race, sexual orientation, gender
reassignment, religion or belief, pregnancy, and
maternity.

Spain Race or ethnic origin, religion or belief, age,

disability, sexual orientation, gender, marital
status, origin, social condition, political ideas,
ideology, affiliation to a trade union, use of
official languages in Spain, family ties with
other workers in a company, nationality, any
other condition or personal or social
circumstance.
Republic of Ireland Gender, civil status, family status, sexual
orientation, religion, age (does not apply to a
person under 18), disability, race,
membership of the Traveller community.

Australia (Protected Attributes) Race, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation physical

or mental disability, marital status, family or
caring responsibilities, pregnancy, religion,
political opinion, national extraction, social
origin.

Bias

In the 1970s, the top five orchestras in the US employed fewer than five percent women. But over the next few
decades this number steadily rose.

How do you think they achieved this?

How did they do it?

In the 1980s and 90s, many orchestras began to hold ‘blind auditions’, in which the musicians would play behind a
screen. Those on the jury did not know the gender of whoever was playing and as a result many more women were
hired.

Those on the jury were not necessarily conscious of any gender bias but they still applied different standards to men
and women.

This sort of scenario applies to us in everyday life. Imagine you were hiring; you probably would like to be fair in your
selection, but as much research has shown, men still have a better chance of success.

By being aware of bias, we can challenge the motivations for the actions and decisions we make.

Unconscious bias

Unconscious bias describes how we are all shaped by our prior experiences and the social and cultural values that we
assimilate throughout our lives. We develop assumptions about people and create our own personal stereotypes.

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representation as to the accuracy, completeness or fitness for purpose of any statements or other content in the course.

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People often feel more comfortable around those that are like them. For example, we usually prefer to spend time
with people of a similar age or familiar background. Unconscious bias is a natural result of this, but it can cause
unintentional prejudice. It often contradicts what we believe about ourselves, as most people would not describe
themselves as ‘biased’ against certain types of people.

Example

Khaled returns to the school car park after work, but his car won’t start. He looks for a male colleague to help him.

In this situation, Khaled feels much more comfortable asking a man to help.

Unconscious bias can affect our behaviour in many ways, but if the bias is against someone with a protected
characteristic, it could lead to illegal discrimination. In the workplace, this can affect recruitment, progression,
recognition and much more.

Example

Nadia is recruiting for a vacant position in her team, currently made up of nine women and one man. She invites
three candidates for interview, all of them female, despite the applications being from an equal mix of men and
women.

Nadia’s unconscious bias leads her to select three women for interview. The team has always been predominantly
female, and she instinctively feels that a woman will fit into the team more easily and quickly.

There are many forms of bias. See how these common types affect Nadia’s decision-making:

• Affinity bias.
This leads us to prefer people we feel a connection with.
Example
Nadia discovers in the interview that she and Candidate A grew up in the same town. They reminisce for a
while and following this pleasant chat Nadia’s unconscious affinity bias leads her to believe that this
candidate would be best for the job.

• Halo bias.
A person might have one single characteristic or achievement which makes us rate them more highly overall.
Example
Candidate B has previously held a similar senior post at a highly regarded competitor. Nadia’s unconscious
halo bias leads her to believe that this means that the candidate would be best for the job and does not ask
many questions about their other previous employment.

• Horns bias
The opposite of halo bias, where one quality that we dislike in a person makes us dismiss them more easily
overall.
Example
Candidate C arrives late to their interview. Nadia’s unconscious bias means that she finds it hard to overcome
her irritation. Her belief that the candidate must be generally disorganised means that she does not make as
much effort to get to know the candidate in the interview.

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aspects, Tes Global Ltd exclude their liability of the consequences of any errors, omission or incorrect statements to the fullest extent permitted by law and Tes Global Ltd make no warranty or
representation as to the accuracy, completeness or fitness for purpose of any statements or other content in the course.

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Barriers to equality

We may feel that we treat everyone fairly and value their differences but ask yourself if you have ever been guilty of
any of the following:

• Prejudice – where you pre-judge a person or group of people without prior knowledge of them.
• Stereotyping – where you assume people have certain behaviours or attitudes that a ‘type’ of person is
expected to exhibit.
• Unfair discrimination – where a person or a group of people is treated less favourably than another based on
their colour, ethnic origin or nationality, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief or
marital status.

But what about positive stereotypes?

Sometimes stereotypes exist that may not be negative, but all stereotypes are damaging. ‘Positive’ stereotypes can
put pressure on those who do not possess certain traits but ‘should’ and can sometimes set high expectations for
certain people. This can cause feelings of alienation.

The celebration of difference makes for a strong and well-rounded society, but it is important to remember that
people are individuals, not just representatives of an ethnicity, disability, faith, gender, sexuality, or other
characteristic.

You should recognise people’s differences, but you should always remember that single characteristics do not
necessarily relate to a person’s interests, abilities, or wider identity.

True inclusivity is about accepting people for who they are, not who you expect them to be.

The main types of discrimination

The main types of discrimination are:

• direct discrimination (including perceptive and associative discrimination)

• indirect discrimination
• victimisation
• harassment.

Direct discrimination is where someone is treated less favourably than another person because of a protected
characteristic they have or are thought to have (perceptive discrimination), or because they associate with someone
who has a protected characteristic (associative discrimination).

Perceptive discrimination is direct discrimination against an individual because others think they possess a particular
protected characteristic. It applies even if the person does not actually possess them.

Associative discrimination is direct discrimination against someone because they associate with another person who
possesses any one or more of the protected characteristics/attributes.

Indirect discrimination can happen when there’s a condition, rule, policy or even a practice in your organisation that
applies to everyone but particularly disadvantages people who share a protected characteristic.

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An example of indirect discrimination could be a fitness centre requiring all staff to wear shorts as part of their
uniforms. This would discriminate against people whose religion and beliefs state that they should dress modestly.
Another example could be imposing a minimum height restriction on a job. This would indirectly discriminate against
people from some ethnic origins as they tend to be smaller in stature.

Like direct discrimination, indirect discrimination is unlawful whether it is intentional or not, unless it can be fully
justified.

Quickfire question 1

Gerry is 63 years old with substantial experience in senior administration roles. He was recently interviewed for an
Administrative Assistant position and during his interview was asked how he would cope reporting to a younger
manager and taking orders from younger team members.

Gerry was unsuccessful in his application and when he challenged the decision was told that he was too experienced
for the position, and that the panel had offered the post to a younger candidate that they felt would be a better
team fit.

Has Gerry been a victim of discrimination?

YES
This poorly conducted interview has left the candidate with an unfavourable impression of the organisation that
they are likely to share.

Whilst Gerry was not advised directly that he wasn't appointed due to his age, this experience in terms of the
question asked and interview feedback would suggest that his age had a part to play in the panel decision making.

Quickfire question 2

Abdul works as a call handler in a contact centre. He is employed on a full-time contract and has asked for some
flexibility with his work pattern to fit in with his religious commitments. Specifically, Abdul has asked for an extended
midday break on a Friday to enable him to attend mosque to perform the congregational prayer. He has offered to
work later on a Friday to make his hours up. Other members of the team work flexibly to accommodate studies and
childcare; however, Abdul’s manager has refused his request on the basis that lunch times are busy.

In your opinion, is this a reasonable refusal?

NO
This could be unlawful direct discrimination against Abdul because of religion or belief. Abdul could claim less
favourable treatment particularly when other members of the team have got flexible arrangements.

Victimisation

Most of us will understand the word victimisation to mean singling someone out for exploitation or unfair
treatment.

For the purposes of this course, in this context, it is when an employee is treated badly because they have made or
supported a complaint or raised a grievance or because they are suspected of doing so.

An employee is not protected if they have maliciously made or supported an untrue complaint.
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aspects, Tes Global Ltd exclude their liability of the consequences of any errors, omission or incorrect statements to the fullest extent permitted by law and Tes Global Ltd make no warranty or
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Harassment

Harassment can be defined as:

“unwanted conduct related to a relevant protected characteristic, which has the purpose or effect of violating an
individual’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for that
individual.”

Positive Action

Organisations can take positive action to target their goods, facilities and services to a particular group or groups,
where they have the relevant protected characteristics attributes, and the organisation believes they are under-
represented or disadvantaged amongst their customers.

This would involve doing some research to find out about the needs of their existing or potential customers and then
taking steps to promote or design goods or services that cater for this group. However, it is the organisation’s own
choice about whether they do this.

For example:

Having identified that its white male pupils are underperforming at maths, a school could run supplementary maths
classes exclusively for them.

In relation to a company’s recruitment and employment practice, if both a male and female candidate apply for a
role within an organisation where women are under-represented, the employer can appoint the female if she is
more or equally qualified as a male candidate. It would be unlawful to appoint the female if the male was more
qualified.

But what about so-called ‘reverse’ discrimination?

Certain individuals may identify actions or opinions as ‘reverse’ discrimination, which means that a member of a
majority or historically dominant group may feel that they are being discriminated against because of this. The term
‘reverse discrimination’ itself implies that ‘normal’ discrimination only goes in one direction, with a majority group
dominating or maltreating a minority group.

Examples may include:

• recruitment practices that favour women over men despite the men being more qualified
• rejecting a white job applicant in favour of a black applicant where the former has skills better suited to the
job.

Organisations need to:

• Remove or minimise any disadvantages suffered by staff or students who share a protected characteristic.
• Take steps to meet any differing needs of people.
• Create an inclusive environment.

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aspects, Tes Global Ltd exclude their liability of the consequences of any errors, omission or incorrect statements to the fullest extent permitted by law and Tes Global Ltd make no warranty or
representation as to the accuracy, completeness or fitness for purpose of any statements or other content in the course.

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Language

The language we use can make a real difference to how safe and welcome people feel. What one person may pass
off as harmless jokes could exclude and marginalise another.

Who is responsible?

Who is responsible for Equality and Diversity within your organisation?

Everyone in your organisation has a responsibility.

What should employers do?

It makes good sense for every organisation to have an equality and diversity policy. If an employer had to defend
themselves at an employment tribunal, they would need to demonstrate that they take equality and diversity
seriously and without a written policy, providing evidence would be very difficult. But having a policy also
demonstrates that the organisation respects people’s rights and values their differences.

What must employees do?

• Comply with the law and with the organisation’s employment and equality and diversity policies and treat
everyone with respect and dignity.
• Not make derogatory comments, unfairly discriminate, or act in a way that might cause distress or
embarrassment to co-workers or customers, whether intentionally or not.
• Not engage in harassment or bullying behaviour.
• Respect people’s beliefs.
• Report inappropriate behaviour immediately.

Voicing your concerns

Your employer should support a working environment in which respect at work is paramount. Everyone has the right
to be treated with consideration, dignity, and respect. Sexist, racist, sexuality and gender-based bullying and

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representation as to the accuracy, completeness or fitness for purpose of any statements or other content in the course.

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harassment should not be tolerated in any form within an organisation, and there are several routes available to
employees to report any bullying and harassment incidents as outlined below:

• Your organisation may have a Respect at Work Policy and/or Anti-Bullying and Harassment Policy, which
outlines the expected behaviours of all employees.
• Your organisation may have a policy for voicing staff concerns, often called a “whistleblowing policy” that
will detail how to seek support and report concerns.
• You may have colleagues that are part of staff network groups that you can contact.
• Your organisation may have an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), which may provide free, confidential
support services.

If you witness or learn about inappropriate behaviour or bullying and harassment, there are several options to raise
your concerns:

• Talk to a Respect at Work Contact if you have one.

• Talk to your line manager about the Respect at Work and Anti-Bullying and Harassment Policy.
• Discuss the issue in confidence with someone on a relevant staff network or representative group.
• Seek advice from HR.

Case study

You work in an open plan office and notice some people loudly joking around. You hear one say to a younger
colleague "Here he is, our computer superstar! Saw the photos of your marathon run on Twitter, loved those shorts!
You got any more pictures like that for us, gorgeous?"

You notice that the young man tries to pass it off as meaningless banter but looks uncomfortable.

You've noticed this type of behaviour before from the same group and on occasions it has been much more direct.

What do you think? Is this an example of discrimination?

YES, this could be deemed as discrimination. The conversation, as well as being potentially damaging to the
individual, is a form of bullying.

In summary

In this module, we have covered:

• what equality and diversity mean and how they affect you
• barriers that can prevent equality from being realised
• key legislation and both employers’ and employees’ responsibilities in relation to it.

This concludes your course on Equality and Diversity and we trust you have found it informative.

A question to leave you with is...

"If a colleague reported an incidence of discrimination to you, or you saw an incident yourself, what action would
you take to ensure you dealt with the issue in a sensitive manner and also followed your organisation’s approach?"

Whilst Tes Global Ltd have made every effort to ensure that the courses and their content have been devised and written by leading experts who have ensured that they reflect best practice in all
aspects, Tes Global Ltd exclude their liability of the consequences of any errors, omission or incorrect statements to the fullest extent permitted by law and Tes Global Ltd make no warranty or
representation as to the accuracy, completeness or fitness for purpose of any statements or other content in the course.

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Please visit the ‘Resources’ which contain much more information and guidance to extend your knowledge. You are
now ready to complete the corresponding questionnaire. Click ‘Questionnaire’ to begin the questions.

Whilst Tes Global Ltd have made every effort to ensure that the courses and their content have been devised and written by leading experts who have ensured that they reflect best practice in all
aspects, Tes Global Ltd exclude their liability of the consequences of any errors, omission or incorrect statements to the fullest extent permitted by law and Tes Global Ltd make no warranty or
representation as to the accuracy, completeness or fitness for purpose of any statements or other content in the course.

No part of this material may be reproduced or utilised in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system
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