Izzy Jakes
Long story short, yes, some schools are encouraging a white saviour complex. In the UK, our school system is incredibly ethnocentric, with students having to put increasing pressure on schools to actively diversify and celebrate different cultures within their curriculum.
“As a white student, why have I only been educated through my friends, books and social media? Are the purpose of schools’not to educate?”
This is extremely worrying. As a white student, why have I only been educated through my friends, books and social media? Aren’t the purpose of schools not to educate?
Why do we have the responsibility of educating teachers, adults who are quite literally getting paid to teach us? I can’t help but feel as though this duty shouldn’t fall onto pupils, and that changing our curriculum is just the beginning.
What is the white saviour complex?
“Schools often fail to address the impact of the white saviour complex and even simply what it is. I think they almost perpetuate it.”
The white saviour complex is based on the principle that white people ‘help’ people of colour in a self-serving way, which is damaging and often ends up reinforcing problematic ideals. The white people who engage in these behaviours, whether consciously or not, perpetuate hierarchical racist principles.
Schools often fail to address the impact of the white saviour complex and even simply what it is. I think they almost perpetuate it.
The reason many students are so aware of the white saviour complex is due to social media. There is a sharp irony here, as social media is both a powerful tool for change and education. However, it is also a place of echo chambers and maintaining privilege.
“Fan activism” has risen drastically on social media, often only going viral for its bright colours or ‘hip’ cartoons rather than the actual information being displayed.
It tends to involve sharing posts with quotes that ‘raise awareness’, however, in reality, these quotes have little impact. They often have no suggestions as to how people can take action, or what can be done on an individual level to help bring about change.
This can ultimately do more harm than good, as the information is displayed in a way that prioritises the comfort of the white creator and reader, rather than spreading awareness of a particular topic.
How do schools perpetuate the problem?
The white saviour complex is everywhere. From all-American Hollywood superheroes being almost exclusively white to ‘volunteers’ documenting their visits to African countries – it penetrates every aspect of our culture.
In my personal experience in school as a white student, I have participated in an institution that prioritises the self-fulfilment of white people over challenging the system that constantly oppresses people of colour. This has existed for far too long. These systemic issues within education systems lead to people conflating attitudes and behaviours normalised by society as always being morally acceptable.
For instance, many students have been desensitised to the reading of racial slurs out loud when studying literature. Rather than normalise these slurs as ‘just another part of the literature’, it would be the perfect opportunity for educators to discuss these words; their meaning, their history and the pain and offence they can cause others.
I spoke to a close friend about our school’s ‘progressive’ trip to Ghana, as she herself is Ghanaian. We both found humour in the way that when we were younger we had looked forward to the trip so much. Now, however, we feel it is so morally wrong. Especially as we are from a predominantly white school, these trips now seem extremely performative and spread dangerous narratives about people who supposedly need ‘saving’.
“…white teachers fail to recognise the diverse and unique backgrounds of people of colour within schools.”
My friend continued to express that the organisation of trips to countries without teaching the students about the culture and belief system of a particular country is problematic, especially as white teachers fail to recognise the diverse and unique backgrounds of people of colour within schools.
These problematic approaches are not always actively ill-intended. They are often a result of pure ignorance. However, we should still strive to do better, educating ourselves so we avoid these patterns of behaviour.
How do we stop the white saviour complex in schools?
“…the white saviour complex is an entirely dangerous state of mind”
Don’t get me wrong. Many aspects of our society perpetuate the white saviour complex and this need to change as the white saviour complex is an entirely dangerous state of mind. However, I believe a particular focus should be placed on the education system. Schools are teaching young people in the most impressionable stage of their life, and failing children by not actively spreading progressive ideology.
Imagine how different the world would be if all pupils could understand and explain white privilege, or speak with confidence about intersectionality. Open discussions could take place everywhere.
Changing our curriculum is just a small part of the journey we should be moving on – listening to, encouraging, and respecting one another. Most importantly, we should always be listening to and amplifying those voices who are drowned out in the wave of the white saviour complex.
Featured image courtesy of Ivan Aleksic via Unsplash. No changes were made to this image. Image license found here.
