Elections

Race, Ethnicity and Education SIG Convenor Vacancy

Call for SIG Convenor

‘Race’ and ethnicity continue to be major factors influencing children’s and adults’ experiences of education at all levels and in a variety of respects. These include academic achievement, professional employment, social interactions, parental involvement, curriculum development, assessment issues and so on.

The ‘Race’, Ethnicity and Education Special Interest Group is concerned with these and other related issues. The terms ‘race’ and ‘ethnicity’ are acknowledged as problematic but are also commonly used and have recognition as relating to issues of colour and cultural racism with which the group will be concerned. There is a lot of support for this SIG as people feel that ‘race’ and ethnicity issues tend to get subsumed within more general papers concerning policy and pedagogy. We also intend to link up with the journal ‘Race’, Ethnicity and Education as well as BERJ. This will further raise the profile of the SIG and also BERA and it will provide further outlets for researchers’ academic papers.

An argument against a SIG on ‘race’ and ethnicity may be that it could lead to marginalisation. However, the counter position is that of permeation which is at least if not more problematic. We have seen in BERA and also in the school system that permeation can often lead to dissipation and render these issues invisible. Moreover, the American Education Research Association, although a much larger organisation of course, has successfully employed discrete Special Interest Groups on ‘race’ and ethnicity issues. Aims of the group:

to provide a forum within BERA for researchers of ‘race’, ethnicity and education in which to share their research, exchange ideas and develop new ones
to raise the profile of ‘race’, ethnicity and education issues within the British Educational Research Association and in the academy more generally through the annual conference and by hosting seminars and encouraging the publishing of research papers within BERJ and other journals
to generate and develop the debate about ‘race’, ethnicity and education throughout the organisation as well as the educational community in general
to support and facilitate the development and quality of research in relation to these issues.

As a SIG convenor you receive a number of benefits, support from the BERA office and are invited to attend convenor meetings in London, with all other SIG convenors.

SIG Convenors are volunteers whose main role is to co-ordinate, oversee and develop the mission and activities of each particular SIG. The SIG is there to represent the views of their members, not of individual convenors.

SIG Convenors should expect to work within all the guidelines and advice provided by the BERA Office. These are in place to ensure good practice and that all legal, financial and insurance matters are taken care of and that any risks to individuals or organisations are minimised. In particular with regard to planning events, activities or any expenditure, SIGs should all follow BERA’s appropriate guidelines and procedures.

By agreeing to assume a position of SIG convenor, individuals are committing to fulfilling the responsibilities and obligations that go with that role. SIG Convenors are expected to exercise their own judgment to meet the requirements listed in BERA guidance and to seek further advice from the BERA Office if in any doubt on any of these matters. If any procedures are not followed then BERA reserves the right to take whatever action may be necessary to protect BERA’s legal, financial and reputational position.

The annual responsibilities for SIG Convenors can be found in this document.

If you would like to be considered (below are the details of the role, remits and appointment of a convenor):

Key aspects of the Convenors’ role include:

Preparing text for a regular (ideally once per term) newsletter to SIG members.
Hosting at least one annual SIG forum meeting for all members (organised via the BERA office)
Encouraging submissions of individual papers and symposia for BERA conference.
Reviewing abstracts or acting as a third reviewer.
Grouping together abstracts for the conference.
Succession planning.

Other responsibilities detailed in the handbook are: