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December 1st 2022
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About CLPE The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education is a UK based children's literacy charity working with primary schools. Their work raises the achievement of children's reading and writing by helping schools to teach literacy creatively and effectively, putting quality children’s books at the heart of all learning. |
Positively, many of the books now published seek to increase discourse on the 'legacies of imperialism, anti-racist advocacy and identity politics'. Authors highlighted for their high-quality, representative texts include Maisie Chan, Serena Patel, Dapo Adeola, Anna McQuinn, Burhana Islam, Kelly Yang and David Olusoga.
Despite this, the report highlights areas for concern. While the percentage of total books published featuring a Black, Asian or minority ethnic main character has increased overall, it still stands at only 4% for Black characters, and less than 1% each for Asian, Chinese and Arab characters. Indeed, the number of Arab main characters has actually decreased since 2017.
Fiction has seen the slowest and smallest incremental year-on-year change, with minoritised characters particularly under-represented in horror and science fiction. The report also notes the varying quality of representation. Along with poorly-developed characters and ethnicity that seems to be an 'afterthought', representation is at times 'problematic and poorly executed' or 'too insignificant to have any real weight'. In particular, the portrayals of characters of colour in picture books 'tend to sit on a spectrum of vague at worst to great at best'.
The report emphasises the need for children to encounter characters with 'agency, who are identifiable, relatable, nuanced, varied and are central to the narrative.'
Watch: selected findings from the CLPE #ReflectingRealities report, a survey of ethnic representation within UK children's literatureSarah Crown, Director of Literature at Arts Council England, says: "We know that a child's life chances are improved by their access to and enjoyment of quality literature, and that their engagement with literature is improved when they can see themselves and their experiences reflected in a meaningful way."
This is echoed by author and CLPE Patron, Catherine Johnson, who adds:“Young readers need to see that everyone has a place in stories, in adventure, in fantasy, in family and funny stories, as well, of course, in history. Stories are an important way to help make sense of the world, they help readers understand how we all belong.”
