IRR Launches Initiative to Oppose State Racism in School

The South African Institute of Race Relations (IRR) has announced a new initiative to oppose the indoctrination of school children with so-called “Critical Race Theory” (CRT) and the rise of state racism in school.

According to the IRR, CRT is fundamentally aimed at dismantling important liberal institutions such as the free market, property rights, and private education, so that the State may wield more power over society. This is ostensibly to bring about equality of outcomes between whites and blacks, which CRT claims will always be unfairly unequal unless “the system” has been taken apart.

The initiative, Educate Don’t Indoctrinate, hosts a wealth of information about CRT and how to resist racism in school and the imposition of bigoted ideas upon the impressionable young minds of school children.

The initiative has identified the following flags for parents, which might indicate that CRT is being taught in school:

• A child is insecure when dealing with someone of another race;
• A child stops making friends across racial lines
• The school, or the child, applies different rules, expectations, or standards to people of different races;
• The school warns the parent against committing “cultural appropriation” or any of the other misleading words common to the CRT lexicon;
• A child is told to be ashamed about their history, culture, background, or privilege;
• The school endorses third-party political and ideological movements or has special days or events to celebrate these;
• The school asks children to recognise and apologise for their privilege;
• The school allows children to form racially segregated groups or associations; and
• Teachers are grouped into racially distinct bodies or have segregated meetings.

The initiative recommends various ways for concerned persons, particularly parents, to become involved and protect their and other children from the harms of CRT.

* Note: The author, Martin van Staden, is a member of the Council of the Institute of Race Relations. This report was however not prompted by the IRR.