We need to stop and think more deeply about what we are doing and why. We need to ponder the purpose of education and how we are fulfilling that purpose as schools. If we accept that oppressive systems and cultures exist in our schools, then we need to understand that by doing nothing, we collude with and sustain these. 

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In times of crisis, it is important to move beyond the survival mode that so many of us find ourselves in. The COVID-19 pandemic has created a definitive break in the status quo of schools. We have all had to adapt our traditional school cultures and become innovative with even the most foundational ways in which our schools function. Pairing this, was the Black Lives Matter movement, which was highlighted after the death of George Floyd. Although originating from a foreign country, the movement has begged us to confront issues of social injustice in our context. Private schools in particular were questioned and prompted to reflect on how we oppress members of our school communities and support oppressive systems. This place of disturbance from the norm in our schools has presented the opportunity for action in which we can move beyond despair into a new, more future-focussed space. This time of change has presented us with choices to make: whether to return to the ways we functioned before, or to make our schools more progressive, socially just and relevant.  

One of the ways in which we are doing things differently at St John's D.S.G. is in our Junior School Library. The library is a space that is in danger of being left behind in a modern world where our students learn technological skills from early on. It is also, however, a space with enormous potential. The library in our school is visited by every child at least once per week. This is both scheduled on the timetable and voluntary visits and presents an opportunity for the discussion of ideas across the school on an ongoing basis. In a move from despair to hope, we have changed our library lessons completely: from what was known as book education, to social justice conversations.

Bishop (1990) developed the metaphor of books as windows, doors and mirrors in her influential work to convey the power and function of books and reading, illustrating why it is important for learners to read books about children similar and different from themselves. These ideas of Bishop’s have guided and inspired me to use children’s literature to have these conversations with students. Bishop (1990) describes books as windows because they can provide views or sights of worlds that are fictional or envisioned, familiar or foreign. These views into worlds can go from being windows to being sliding glass doors when readers metaphorically walk through the door to become immersed and part of the world created by the author. These windows can be transformed once more when “lighting conditions are just right” (Bishop, 1990, p. xi) into mirrors. Literature has the power to transform human experience and reflect it to us. In this reflection, we can see our own being- our experiences and lives- as part of the larger shared experience of being human. Through this, Bishop (1990) declares that reading becomes a mode of self-affirmation. Our students then seek their mirrors in books. 

This understanding highlights the importance of the representation of all identities in the children’s literature that we stock in our libraries. When children cannot find their reflections in the books we offer them, or their reflections are distorted (often in the forms of myths, stereotypes and caricatures), those children are sent a powerful message about their status and value in the school and society. On the other hand, when children find only their reflections in books, they learn that they are the standard definition of ‘normal’, which all should aspire to conform to.

Each week a topic is covered across our Junior School during social justice conversations in the library. The topic is the same for each grade, but the content, selected literature and delivery of the lesson is tailored based on the age and level of the class. These topics are primarily introduced through children’s literature. These conversations aim to stimulate conversations that foster social justice and equip our learners with the skills they need to engage meaningfully in these conversations, with a view towards becoming socially just citizens who make a positive impact on the world. The continuity of the topics and timing between grades allows for the conversation to continue outside of the lesson, between grades and with teachers. This spilling over of what is discussed in the lesson-conversation time into the rest of the school is vital to ensuring discussion around social justice becomes embedded in the culture of the school.  

The topics we discuss are centred around our social identities of race, gender, ability, nationality, language, and so on. There are a few principles upon which these weekly conversations occur, beginning with guidelines that establish a safe/brave space. A key skill we aim to develop in the learners is to navigate a constructive conversation with others who do not feel the same way about a given topic. The conversations are experiential and participatory in nature, which means that much of the lesson content focuses on the experiences the learners share, and thus do not follow a formulaic pattern. An important outcome of these lessons is to normalise ‘unfinishedness and greyness': to get comfortable with the idea that these conversations rarely have a neat end where every person in the room agrees. 

The conversations encourage our learners to move beyond binary thinking that leads us to stereotype and judge others. We are learning that social problems are complex and that we need to examine them on multiple levels. The conversations also aim to foster emotional maturity: for learners to listen to their emotions and inner voice, and reflect on and recognise what these mean. We verbally identify and celebrate differences, and focus on similarities. Lastly, we incorporate real-world problems and relate these to the literature wherever possible through our experience and knowledge. 

Social justice implies a fair and mutual obligation in society where everyone is responsible for the welfare of all people, including the self. Children's Rights Education enables the child to analyze the value of social justice in creating a society that understands and values human rights, freedom, equality, and dignity. Finding a way to promote these conversations is very important to me. Here are some fabulous resources;

Anand, D. & Hsu, L.M. (2020). Think outside the book: Transformative justice using children’s literature in educational settings. Journal of Curriculum Studies Research, 2 (2), 122-143. https://doi.org/10.46303/jcsr.2020.13

Bishop, R. (1990). Mirrors, Windows and Sliding Glass Doors. Perspectives: Choosing and Using Books for the Classroom. 6 (3).

Boutte, G. and Muller, M. (2018). Engaging Children in Conversations About Oppression Using Children's Literature. Transformations in Literacy and Technology. 30 (1). 2- 9. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/347504796_Engaging_Children_In_Conversations_About_Oppression_Using_Children's_Literature/references

Crosthwaite, J. M. (2015). Literacy and Social Justice: Understanding Student Perceptions and Conceptions about Literature. University of Nevada Las Vegas Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones. https://dx.doi.org/10.34917/8220097

Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Continuum.

Kesler, T., Mills, M. and Reilly, M. (2020). I Hear You: Teaching Social Justice in Interactive Read-Aloud. Language Arts. 97 (4). 207-222.

Quin, J. (2009). Growing social justice educators: a pedagogical framework for Social Justice Education. Intercultural Education. 20 (2). 109-125. https://doi.org/10.1080/14675980902922192  

Reygan, F. & Steyn, M. (2017). Diversity in Basic Education in South Africa: Intersectionality and Critical Diversity Literacy. Africa Education Review. https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/18146627.2017.1280374

Steiner, S. F. (2008). Teaching about Peace through Children’s Literature. Journal of Peace Education and Social Justice. 2(2), 229-244. https://creducation.net/catalog/cat-item-539/