Thread by @CARE2Liberate

Since the student protest at #PimlicoAcademy on 30th March, there has been a lot of media coverage about the alleged motivations of the students. Here are some of the headlines:

Most of the headlines & articles tell us that students staged a walkout (the protest remained on site) due to upset over a flag & the uniform. These misperceptions imply students took drastic action to complain about minor things. Their actual demands have far more substance.

Students tried to use the recommended school channels to raise concerns, they even got over 1000 people to sign a petition. This was ignored by the school's leadership. When you exhaust all available routes, what else is left to do to make change happen?

So the students organised a protest. The protest focused on 4 key areas, as oultined in their demands: Discrimination (Racism, Islamophobia, Transphobia) Poverty, Sexual Assault & Academics. These are definitely not trivial issues & should be taken very seriously.

Links shared in demands, Image 4:
mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/s…
theguardian.com/education/2021…
independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-n…
londonnewsonline.co.uk/pimlico-academ…

Demands continued & links shared in demands:
Image 6/8: change.org/p/pimlico-acad…
thesun.co.uk/news/13731789/…
Image 7/8: futuretraining.org/attachments/do…
Image 8/8: theguardian.com/education/2021…

Staff at the school are also concerned. 99% of unionised staff (85 people) voted no confidence in the head, Dan Smith. 98% voted in favour of a ballot for industrial action. 30 staff members have said they intend to leave by the end of the school year: theguardian.com/education/2021…

It’s patronising to dismiss the students as just complaining about a flag or uniform. It is not acceptable to default to discipline when students have been left with no alternative but to protest #RighttoProtest

As this is being covered widely online & in the media, we must share the students’ actual demands & not allow them to be trivialised & dismissed, especially as students who protested are now being threatened with exclusion #NoMoreExclusions: theguardian.com/education/2021…

We are concerned that after agreeing to consider the students’ demands, Lord Nash, chair of the governors, has reverted to ignoring them & disciplining the students for their actions instead of considering & addressing their concerns & the clear failures of the leadership team

Making sure a school is welcoming & safe for all students should be the priority here. The students’ demands are attempting to address some genuine, deep-rooted discriminatory issues & practices at the school & should be met with praise, not with punishment #CARE2Liberate

Love & solidarity to all the students at Pimlico Academy. Best of luck to the staff working there, both in support of the students & having their concerns addressed. Journalists: Please remember to represent the views & demands of the students accurately #antiracisted