Katharine Birbalsingh
The Reformer
Changing the system from inside it, principle turned into change.
Katharine Birbalsingh is a prominent advocate for educational reform and social mobility, emphasizing the importance of personal responsibility and family support in children's education. This interview reveals her commitment to addressing cultural issues and her determination to create lasting change within the education system.
“My teaching, in the inner city, so what happened was I went into teaching because I thought I believed all the normal things there isn't enough money, white racist teachers are preventing black boys from succeeding, all of that stuff. Anyway, I went in, and then I looked around and I just saw the evidence.”
“Well, especially in the inner city, I understand that not every school needs that. But in the inner city, the alternative is children getting into fights in the corridors, screaming and shouting and running and shoving places where the shy children are terrified to walk down the corridors.”
“Speech would change your life. I knew I was being naughty. I knew I was saying things you're not meant to say elephants. You know, I was doing that. But no, I had no idea what I was doing. I was very naive. They told me that it would go out on BBC Parliament. And I thought, well, nobody watches that. So I'll be fine.”
“Absolutely, and it's a huge impact on children's social mobility because children depend on their schools. If they're from disadvantaged families, they depend on their schools to be able to give them the opportunity. And I worry that there'll be another lockdown.”
Political Thinking with Nick Robinson — The Katharine Birbalsingh One
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