National Inclusion Week!

National Inclusion Week is 10 years old this year! 

It hardly feels real because in spite of so much progress, huge strides remain to be made. 

Still; change is a process not an event and we can't flee from the journey. The rewards are far too great. 

This years theme was "Time to act; The Power Of Now". It invited employers to own their commitment to inclusion and to start embedding behaviours now, that will make inclusion and inclusive cultures an everyday reality. It also invites them to be alert to opportunities for inclusion and occurrences of exclusion (& their responses). 

While National Inclusion Week was targetting employers, it shouldn't be lost on us that the education system is the pipeline for future employment. 

Let us ask ourselves, what visible and impactful practices we are implementing NOW in our education settings to foster a more inclusive culture and build inclusive mindsets in school children? Living in a society as diverse as the UK is a blessing, a cheap way to travel, see the world, learn about others, decolonise our mindsets and civilise ourselves. 

Sometimes, the best gift you can give someone is to include them. So let us start with people and the systems and structures that evolve in tandem or follow later. 

Diversity is a fact. 

Inclusion is a choice. 

So, I hope that on National Inclusion Week which just passed this year, that people did make more inclusive choices.

One way is to chose more inclusive children's literature. Books are fantastic mirrors, windows and sliding glass doors into their world and the world of others and a sure fire way to teach them early that we all have the right to matter and be considered worthy of inclusion. 

You can either send us a message or email us at ndah.mbawa@mbawabooks.co.uk to find out more.