Are black children being over-policed in schools?

Available for over a year

A report says black children are disadvantaged in schools because they're viewed as 'less innocent' and more adult-like. The year-long independent study by the Commission on Young Lives in England says this process of so-called 'adultification' means many feel unsafe because they aren't getting the protection they should - and it's having a hugely negative impact on their lives. It highlights the case of Child Q, a 15-year-old black girl who was taken out of an exam at her school in London, and strip searched by police in 2020. And it warns that this kind of treatment is having a damaging impact on the confidence of young black people. About a fifth of secondary schoolchildren are black, according to government figures from 2019, but these children account for more than half of those who get strip-searched. Recommendations include better race equality teacher training, a more inclusive curriculum to tackle racial discrimination and more black teachers in classrooms and leadership roles. For 5 Minutes On, the BBC's community affairs correspondent, Adina Campbell, talks to two women who are determined to enact change. They both have daughters and are school governors. They talk candidly about their own experiences and their hopes for the future. Photo credit: BBC