Publish at February 25 2026 Updated February 25 2026
Has the school system become blinded by its appearance of virtue? With its constant pretext of universality, is the school forgetting the shadows of its reality? The question arises because, when the system is challenged, it answers that it is open to all, and that everyone starts from the same starting point.
Scratching behind the official discourse shows, however, that this is not often the case. The school system reproduces contemporary social dynamics, and socio-economic disparities are not hard to spot in a school. Sexist biases are often felt in the way boys and girls are approached in certain subjects, including science. So, would it really surprise us to know that schools allow, even unconsciously, racist prejudices to taint their approaches?
The idea of "systemic racism" is a controversial one. People are quick to stand up and say they're not racist, or that it doesn't happen all the time. They confuse "systematic" with "systemic". The former would imply constant acts by everyone. It's obvious that the school world is not entirely racist. Many people working there are open-minded and caring. Nevertheless, racist dynamics are unfortunately part of the system.
In Guyana, in October 2025, a student was called "dirty white", and the latter retorted that blacks should go back to the cotton fields. Both parties were sent letters of reflection. However, the Caucasian pupil's parents rebelled: for them, their son was the only victim of the altercation and lodged a police complaint against the principal, overlooking the fact that the response was just as hurtful as the first insult. The story created an outcry and broke school confidentiality, showing just how explosive the subject is.
Particularly in France and the French territories obtained through colonization, there is tension over the racial question. It is also felt in society, with a 32% increase in racially-motivated crimes in 2023. This tension is constantly fuelled by the prevailing media and political discourse, and has an impact on schools.
When French researchers look at experiences of injustice and discrimination at school, they note, among other things, that guidance is the area most often cited. Many young people from diverse backgrounds are not listened to in their choices and desires. They're pushed into courses they don't want to take, thinking that these are the only courses for them. The problem is that this under-representation of black people at university perpetuates the stereotype of the supposed stupidity of this population. Even in Canada, perceived as a "paradise of multiculturalism", women of color are less present and, consequently, earn less money than other colleagues in faculties.
The question of representation is often problematic, as there are still few teachers and principals from diverse backgrounds. This does not help students from similar backgrounds to identify with roles regarded as the "elite" of society.
This shortage of representatives leaves the field wide open to racist acts and remarks in schools. A University of Ottawa study reported that 40% of black students said they had experienced at least one racist incident at school. This climate has deleterious effects on learners, particularly on their mental equilibrium. They lose faith in their schools, and may experience heightened symptoms of anxiety and self-depreciation. Not to mention hypervigilance mechanisms to avoid further aggression or acts of racial judgment.
What's all the more regrettable is that these biases persist throughout schooling: they can be found as early as primary school, and continue right through to medical and other faculties. The result is a reduced sense of belonging for Black, Asian, Arab or, in Canada's case, Aboriginal students, and a greater likelihood that these learners will drop out of school.
So, what's the solution? For a long time, schools adopted a "colorblind" approach, where everyone says they don't see the colors of the learners and offer the same training to all. Except that this strategy makes it possible to conceal or ignore the system that enables racist bias. So, the idea of switching to an anti-racist pedagogy already means ceasing to diminish the racist aspect of certain events taught at school.
For example, French textbooks on colonization, which omit the problems to talk about the infrastructures that the colonists established. This aspect is not entirely untrue, but making it the main subject by not dealing with clashes with local populations, racist theories that have encouraged a hierarchical vision, contribute to minimizing the situation.
It means talking to students about racist biases in society and instilling notions of diversity, equity and inclusion. There are plenty of books and teaching resources available for discussing these topics with younger learners and even teenage and young adult learners. The challenge is to exchange and integrate in a social and, above all, political climate that rejects this approach, or even bans it, as in the United States.
This becomes more complex. In this case, we have to rely on plans such as those put in place in Ontario to deal with the issue of black students. Focusing on "black joy" or the joy of racialized peoples may be a less confrontational strategy, relying more on the resilience of peoples over time, and the successes that individuals or groups have achieved, to create a sense of belonging and pride among learners.
Not all racist biases will disappear, but this love of oneself and one's origins makes it easier to navigate through them and denounce them without fear.
Image by IA (Copilot)
"A teacher helping a white student in a classroom with an ignored black student who is also asking for help".
References
Brinbaum, Yaël, Séverine Chauvel, and Elise Tenret. "Analyzing experiences of injustice and discrimination at school: contextualization, resources and ambivalence." OpenEdition Journals. Last updated 2025.
https://journals.openedition.org/cres/8196.
Dieynaba Ndiaye, Ndeye. "Black women in academia in Canada facing systemic racism and discrimination." University Affairs. Last updated March 11, 2025. https://www.affairesuniversitaires.ca/opinion-fr/les-femmes-noires-en-milieu-universitaire-au-canada-face-au-racisme-systemique-et-a-la-discrimination/.
Dogbe, Laetitia. "Anti-black racism in Canadian schools: an emergency in need of solutions." ONFR TFO. Last updated: November 17, 2025. https://onfr.tfo.org/racisme-anti-noirs-dans-les-ecoles-canadiennes-une-urgence-en-mal-de-solutions/.
"Let's deconstruct racism and anti-Semitism through Education!" Solidarité Laïque. Last updated: March 14, 2025.
https://www.solidarite-laique.org/je-milite/deconstruisons-le-racisme-et-lantisemitisme-par-leducation/.
Hidair-Krivsky, Isabelle. "How to prevent and respond to racism in schools." RTBF. Last updated: December 2, 2025. https://www.rtbf.be/article/comment-prevenir-et-repondre-au-racisme-en-milieu-scolaire-11639167.
FNEEQ School and Society Committee. "Pour une véritable inclusion en éducation." Presse-toi à Gauche! Last updated: February 17, 2026. https://www.pressegauche.org/Pour-une-veritable-inclusion-en-education.
"Racism in medical education: what it is, why it's important and what we can do about it." Canadian Paediatric Society. Last updated: February 26, 2025. https://cps.ca/fr/policy-and-advocacy/le-racisme-en-formation-medicale-ce-que-cest-pourquoi-cest-important-et-ce-quon-peut-faire.
Logothetis, Paul. "Racism in schools harms mental health of black students." University of Ottawa. Last updated May 5, 2025. https://www.uottawa.ca/recherche-innovation/toutes-nouvelles/racisme-ecoles-nuit-sante-mentale-etudiantes-etudiants-noirs.
"Anti-racist education in schools." CSF Bienveillance - École Inclusive Et Bienveillante. Last updated: February 25, 2025. https://bienveillance.csf.bc.ca/discuter-d-antiracisme-avec-les-eleves/.
Masson, Mimi. "Critical Literacy in the Service of Inclusive French Teaching: Toward Antiracist Pedagogy in Ontario." TA@l'école. Last updated: April 29, 2025. https://www.taalecole.ca/litteratie-critique-enseignement-inclusif-fr/.
Melchiori, Lara. "'Everyday racism' deleterious to victims' mental health." Mental Health. Last updated: June 19, 2025. https://www.santementale.fr/2025/06/le-racisme-au-quotidien-un-phenomene-insidieux-deletere-pour-la-sante-des-victimes/.
Mérentié, Francesca. "Racisme anti-Noir à l'école: un plan d'action qualifié d'" outil de référence "." Radio-Canada. Last updated: March 29, 2025. https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/2151411/ecoles-publiques-ontario-recommandations-racisme-eleves-enseignants-education-politiques.
Nyambek-Mebenga, Francine. "Educating against racism without saying race: from a colorblind pedagogy to a critical anti-racist pedagogy." Cairn.info. Last updated: December 8, 2023. https://shs.cairn.info/revue-le-telemaque-2023-2-page-79.
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