ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the nature and effects of racism and the overall context created by government race relations policies. It examines the development of official educational policies. The shift from assimilationist to pluralist objectives is considered, and the way in which a widening gap between policy and practice has led to the development of new approaches which emphasize equality and the central importance of combating racism. The context in which teachers are being asked to develop pluralist approaches are one in which, as has been shown in this chapter; the effect of racism is well documented. The policy statement adopted by Berkshire local education authorities clearly demonstrates the important departure from the vague concerns of the official 'multi-cultural' objectives discussed earlier in this chapter. The context created by the Immigration and Nationality Acts inevitably weakened the positive element in the government's strategy — the Race Relations Acts of 1965, 1968 and 1976 which introduced increasingly strengthened legislation against racial discrimination.
