7 Summary of Session 4

In this session, you’ve explored how racial identity continues to develop during the secondary years. You’ve seen how young people from racially minoritised backgrounds, including those from mixed heritage families navigating multiple identities, can be misinterpreted in school and professional spaces, and how these misinterpretations are shaped by wider systems of racism and bias.

Through exploring racial identity development stages, the school-to-prison pipeline, and Kofi’s story alongside Frances Akinde’s insights, you’ve been challenged to think critically about how school structures, teacher assumptions and workplace expectations interact with race and adolescence.

As educators, caregivers and parents, you’re positioned to disrupt harmful narratives by questioning whether policies truly serve all students fairly, building genuine relationships that see young people as individuals first, and being willing to examine your own assumptions about behaviour and potential.

In the final session, you’ll bring together all your learning as you hear from our panel of experts and explore how to apply this knowledge in your daily work with children and young people.

You can now go to Session 5.