The difficult yet important conversations around racism in schools.

I came to Australia in 2012 as a rebellious 17-year-old ready to take on the world.

The city I stepped into did not fall short by any means in helping me feel included in a foreign land and supporting my beliefs that I could be anything. Irrespective of the colour of my skin and the audible accent in my voice.

Fast forward to 10 years, I could not have imagined having a conversation around faking accents/subtle racism with a 13-year-old at a high school.

Last year, I took up a teaching position at a high school in a quiet, sleepy yet stunningly beautiful town called Narrabri.

Narrabri is 521 kilometres north west of Sydney, and it takes eight hours by train from Strathfield Station to get here.

The first time I walked into the town centre, I was surprised by how people would look up and acknowledge me with a shy smile or a warm “hi” if I simply happened to walk past.

Not only is it rare in Sydney but would ring alarm bells in your head if someone was to do this.

However, walking into a regional school as a person of colour was a different ballgame altogether.

During the first two terms at school, my heart would beat faster when I heard students mock my accent. Don’t show them your weakness, I would tell myself.

But as you can imagine, telling yourself to calm down only makes the growing anxiety explode.

One time, a furious young girl yelled at me, “go back to your country” after she was asked to come for detention.

I wasn’t expecting a bunch of roses and a “best teacher in the world” cup from her in retaliation, but the degree of racism from a 13-year-old left me speechless.

I stood there, too shocked to even show any emotion.

Subtle racism at my school continues to this day.

But something has changed. I don’t accept it anymore.

I don’t walk away, but I walk straight into it.

Sometimes I would forget that the kids are hurting as well, and they want to do the best they can to get to me.

So I would say, “It will take you six years of education and hard work to come even an inch close to be able to speak like me”.

But I have learned with time that kids need love as much as I do.

So, I have changed my approach.

I start by isolating the child from his or her social group so that their actions are not influenced or decanted by friends’ presence.

And I would ask in a calm and composed tone, “do you think what you did was wrong?”.

“Yes, I shouldn’t have mocked you.”

And voila.

Where they were expecting hatred or yelling, they received some love and understanding.

The whole situation changes, where the mask of indifference put on due to social pressure is replaced by remorse and acknowledgment of wrongdoing.

Supriya Bansal, Narrabri

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