White guilt behind schools' push for diversity, Britain's strictest headteacher says

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George Bunn

By George Bunn


Published: 16/06/2025

- 07:29

Updated: 16/06/2025

- 08:32

Katharine Birbalsingh accused schools of creating division

Britain's strictest headteacher has claimed "white guilt" is behind a greater push for diversity in schools.

Michaela Community School head Katharine Birbalsingh warned schools did "the wrong thing" by splitting children into ethnic, religious or LGBT+ groups.


Birbalsingh said that pupils should be learning algebra rather than taking part in "diversity days."

Speaking at a conference for the Family Education Trust over the weekend, the 52-year-old headteacher also warned schools did not instil a feeling of belonging to their country.

\u200bKatharine Birbalsingh

Katharine Birbalsingh took aim at 'diversity days' in a blistering speech

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She said: "You’ve got various diversity days bringing all different foods, etc.

"I am the most diverse person you’ll ever find in terms of my background. But the fact is that there’s nothing unifying the school.

"If there are no values that everyone buys into, whatever their background, whatever their religion, then there’s nothing to hold them together."

Birbalsingh also cited the case of one London school, which she did not name, which she claimed "abandoned all Shakespeare" and instead opted to focus on "the great works" of Panti Bliss, an Irish drag queen and gay rights activist.

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Michaela Community School in North LondonMichaela Community School in North LondonGETTY

Referring to diversity days, she said: "Why are they not learning algebra? That’s what I’d like to know."

Birbalsingh also issued a warning about the use of smartphones, saying the school had purchased "brick" phones, which can only be used for calling and texting.

She said: "Anecdotally, I can tell you that at my school the vast majority of the children in the top set, do not have a smartphone.

"I can tell you for nothing that the entire bottom set all have phones. That is not a coincidence and that’s every year."

\u200bKatharine Birbalsingh

Katharine Birbalsingh warned about the use of smartphones

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Birbalsingh added that many families of the children she teaches decide not to buy smartphones following "strong encouragement" by the school.

The 52-year-old went on to criticise the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), accusing it of issuing advice to teachers to have "critical discussions" about racism and sexism in The Tempest, while providing resources to think about "environmental issues."

She said that while she was not against talking about issues of racism and sexism in literature, she did not to understand how they can be presented as the "theme" when studying Shakespeare.

The headteacher added the RSC provides materials that encourage the study of plays such as Othello and The Merchant of Venice using "anti-bias and anti-racist methods".