Diverse and Inclusive Schools: Benefits Beyond the Moral Case

 by Luke Rees

The diversity and inclusion agenda is rightly a top priority for all educational leaders currently. Tragic events and actions involving racial discrimination and sexual violence in the past twelve months have given publicity, motivation and indeed scrutiny to this most important area of our education system. Educational institutions are rightly morally and legislatively obliged, to foster diverse and inclusive communities. The purpose of this short article is to identify the other significant gains to all stakeholders when diversity and inclusion are fully integrated into school life.

There has been a huge amount of research conducted in the corporate sector which has overwhelmingly aligned inclusive organisations with a host of commercial advantages. For example, McKinsey & Company reported in 2020 that “the business case for inclusion and diversity is growing stronger than ever”. They suggest that their latest analysis reaffirms the strong business case for both gender diversity and ethnic and cultural diversity in corporate leadership. “The most diverse companies are now more likely than ever to outperform less diverse peers on profitability”. Their research focuses on gender and race, although interestingly, they note that the likelihood of outperformance continues to be higher for diversity in ethnicity than for gender.

So what can schools and colleges learn from this? Well, it is my view that teaching young people the skills and virtues of inclusivity should be a minimum requirement of any educational system and this certainly should not solely focus on race and gender, for instance neuro, generational and socioeconomic diversity are equally as significant, especially in in the UK independent school sector.  To focus on this purely as a moral addition to curricula or an inspectorate’s hoop to jump through is grossly short sighted; it will lack true buy-in and does not begin to appreciate the other organisational and educational gains that can be made. I have identified 4 such advantages below:

1. Creativity

It is reported that diverse study environments drive creativity in students when interpreting and using knowledge and data. Group activities with diverse membership helps create a positive atmosphere and effective environment for creative and collaborative learning.  The more ideas and experiences young people are exposed to, the more creative they can be. Particularly, if they are in an inclusive environment where they know that their ideas will be genuinely valued, and criticism will always come from a positive place. I firmly believe that the skill of creativity will be pivotal in ensuring students excel at school and in their lives beyond education. LinkedIn agree, and report that creativity is the third most in-demand skill of employers in 2021.

 2. Communication Skills

Communication skills are highly valued in education as well as in the world of business. Considering that diversity motivates students to communicate with peers, friends, staff, parents and guest speakers of various backgrounds, their communication skills will naturally develop as a consequence. Again, communication skills are a non-negotiable competency for most professions and are mentioned to me on numerous occasions by employers and universities when explaining the skills they most value in young people. To be clear here, I’m discussing communication in its true and full sense. This includes both transmitting and receiving. As the author and coach Tony Robins states: “to communicate effectively we must realise that we are all different in the way that we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others”.

3. Cognitive Skills and Critical Thinking

The presence of diversity in the classroom allows students to consider perspectives and opinions beyond those they’ve already formed or were shaped in early life by family and friends. By presenting students with viewpoints far different from their own, it gives them the opportunity to think critically about their own beliefs and examine the world in fresh ways. As noted by an article in Scientific American, exposure to diversity alters the way individuals think by promoting creativity and innovation, as well as decision-making and problem-solving skills, indeed “Diversity jolts us into cognitive action in ways that homogeneity simply does not” (Forbes, 2020).

4. Institution Management and Governance 

The benefits of diversity and inclusion can be applied way beyond the student body. At its most simple level an institution with a strong reputation for D&I will attract larger fields of applications for leadership and teaching roles. This is a significant advantage when we consider that 35% of teachers plan to leave the profession within five years, making a difficult recruitment market even more challenging (National Education Union, 2021). In addition, a diverse staff body will foster all of the important attributes detailed above and this school leader will strongly testify to the importance of clear communication, creativity and problem-solving skills generally but particularly during the pandemic. Combine this with the benefits reported in the commercial sector and there is an overwhelming case for ensuring an inclusive organisation at all costs. 

I have tried to summarise and select several of the many virtues of fostering an inclusive school environment such as is at The Portsmouth Grammar School. I would urge school governors and proprietors to give their leaders the resource they need to create truly diverse institutions both for educational benefit of students and for the commercial development of the establishments over which they preside.