A Typical 6 week

course

A brief explanation

of some aspects

of the course

Graduation

Ceremonies

Guests at

Graduations

Background

The Race & Cultural Awareness course has been run by Sabbir Hossain of since 1996. It began as an anti-racism and anti-bullying project and has since evolved into a scheme combating many other forms of anti-social behaviour as well as promoting good citizenship.

It has been very well received by schools, with scores of letters of support from school head teachers reporting its success. Nottinghamshire constabulary has also cited the course’s importance, support it logistically as well as financially including an annual awards ceremony for the most outstanding candidates. The course has received substantial coverage by local press and television, and has the support of local professional football and cricket teams.

Funding has always been a crucial aspect to the course’s survival. A very wide range of sources have helped, including city community centres. A workbook created by Sabbir Hossain is has been used by the students to complete some of the exercises in the course.

Each school is delivered an individually tailored course, after consultation between teachers, the head teacher and Sabbir Hossain.

How RCA delivers an enriched curriculum experience that motivates them as learners and meets their needs as future citizens 

• Brainstorming between the pupils
• Comprehension tasks from a case study of racially motivated bullying at a school, inviting pupils opinions and solution on the issue
• Comprehension task from a cartoon video of racism at a school
• Artistic creativity is explored, anti racism posters have been very successful
• Comprehension from a video account of a young offender, covering truancy anti-social behavior as well career planning
• Introduces career planning
• Pupils are encouraged to express their own personal opinions on subjects such as racism and invited to propose their own solutions
• Anti-social behaviour and crime is studied. The difference anti-social behaviour makes on a neighbourhoods and community is explored
• Career planning is covered being discussed along with crime and anti-social behaviour and the detrimental affect they have on one’s future and career. Truancy is also explored, and again the knock-on effect this can have on ones future and career.

What RCA has achieved

• Ongoing research has been done, with regards to the success of the course. Simple measures have been used in some cases, where counts of hands were taken after a class was asked how many people had suffered name-calling. One was done at the start of the 6 week course and at the end. The outcome has always been positive.
• Letters of citing the courses success from school headteachers have further illustrated the course’s success. These can be found on the RCA website.
• The graduation ceremonies marking completion of the course by classes see school halls filled with parents and is a sign of huge parental interest in the course.
• The RCA course has one a Community relations Award in 2001 by Nottingham City Council.
• In 2004, the best posters created were used as part of an anti-racism drive supported by Nottinghamshire Police Authority, Nottinghamshire Racial Equality Council and the Education Department. These posters were displayed on Nottingham City Transport buses and seen by the whole city.