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This piece from @tesfenews caught our eye last night. The headline & thrust of the article aren't really supported by the facts it draws upon.
A short thread... https://www.tes.com/news/revealed-fes-lack-diversity-leadership
A short thread... https://www.tes.com/news/revealed-fes-lack-diversity-leadership
This thread explains what @KateParkerTes tried to do - to explore this topic & analyse all that FoI data is to be applauded. 
https://twitter.com/KateParkerTes/status/1288884611481837569
https://twitter.com/KateParkerTes/status/1288884611481837569
However, it compares the % of FE leaders that are white/non-white with the *general population* - which is... problematic.
Take a look at this table - what do you notice about the % of the younger population that is white/non-white compared to older age groups?
Take a look at this table - what do you notice about the % of the younger population that is white/non-white compared to older age groups?
Yes: younger age groups are much less white than average, & older age groups more more so.
In the article, it said 84% of FE leaders were reported as white.
FE leaders generally come from the 35 - 59 age range. Let's look at the 2011 ethnicity data for these: around 88% white.
In the article, it said 84% of FE leaders were reported as white.
FE leaders generally come from the 35 - 59 age range. Let's look at the 2011 ethnicity data for these: around 88% white.
So we seem to have MORE non-white FE leaders than the cohort they're generally drawn from - which is unusual when looking at leadership roles.
The headline & article could/should have been asking "Is FE a diversity success that other sectors can learn from?"
The headline & article could/should have been asking "Is FE a diversity success that other sectors can learn from?"
(It could also have been "What's going wrong for white leadership candidates in FE?" - but let's not even go there.)
More importantly: this kind of analysis can be really powerful - but it has to be accurate, and we mustn't jump to conclusions about causes.
Personal anecdotes are not evidence.
Personal anecdotes are not evidence.
And while things are far from perfect, this country has incredible race relations & is far more inclusive & less discriminatory than most countries in the world.
Telling people things are worse than they are helps no one - least of all those most affected by issue at hand.
Telling people things are worse than they are helps no one - least of all those most affected by issue at hand.
P.S. Just had a really good conversation with @KateParkerTes about all this. Props to her for engaging with the analysis & hearing me out. Journalistic star in the making.
P.P.S will tweet later about the issue of all-white leadership teams (and why we'd expect loads of these given current demographics.)
