As we step into 2025, we reflect not only on the systemic challenges that persist in education but also on the opportunities to create meaningful change. 

Facing systemic issues can feel overwhelming. For some, the sheer scale of the task leads to inaction; for others, it sparks a tendency to externalise the problem, saying, “When that changes, I will…” 

At Class 13, we propose a third path: recognising and cutting the ties between our everyday practices and systemic inequity. 

But before we can sever these harmful connections, we must first see them clearly. 

In this blog we explore examples of everydayevery day practices which perpetuate systemic inequities. Our examples cover primary and secondary and primary education as well as nd youth work, so there’s something for everyone.  

School uniforms: Protecting girls or encouraging fostering hostility?

In secondary schools, one example of how systemic issues seep into our daily practice is the policing of how girls “should” dress. 

This practice is framed in different ways, such as to “protect” girls from the male gaze, or prevent boys being “distracted”. Both narratives are equally problematic as they reinforce perpetuate social norms that aim to  control women’s bodies and choices. 

Schools simultaneously discipline boys for misogynistic behaviour, which at first seems an appropriate response. However, with children, we need to get curious and question where they are learning these behaviours. In schools, they are actually joining in conversations started by the schools’ own policies.  that started by police only what girls wear. 

Of course we can debate the source of misogynistic behaviours: they could come from home, the Iinternet, or elsewhere. Ultimately, we must focus on what we have control of and  think about how we can disconnect our own practices from this. 

If you’re a classroom teacher and feel powerless to influence this, we invite  you to consider two things:

1. How can you be an active bystander? Research on active bystander interventions shows that addressing instances of harassment and discrimination head-on can shift cultures over time. (include examples of research)
2. What happens if you refuse to participate? Individual acts of resistance can disrupt harmful practices, especially when multiplied across the system. Your resistance can starts the conversation which in turn, and can prompts reflections in others. 

Change doesn’t require you alone to overhaul the system alone, but it does demand that you ask difficult hard questions about the role your actions—or inactions—play in perpetuating these norms.

The harmful use of guilt to control

A common misconception is that harmful practices only take place in secondary schools, when in reality primary school practices are can be just as problematic.

For example, in primary schools it’s it is common practice to use guilt to influence children’ s behaviour. This might be through direct phrases such as “you’ve disappointed me” or more subtle phrases said to the whole class: “so-and-so is sitting nicely which makes me happy”. 

While these might seem feel like harmless ways to manage behaviour, they have the potential for deeper, lasting impacts. Statements like these don’t just seek compliance; they fail to cultivate critical thinking or self-reflection and normalises guilt and shame as tools for managing relationships. 

Going into adulthood, we can see the same tools of shame and guilt are prevalentare leading to self-blame prevalent in abusive relationships. As professionals, we understand the detrimental impact on children who witness or experience witnessing abuse. 

If you’re reflecting on your own practices, here are two questions to consider:

1. What behaviours are you unintentionally modelling? Consider how using guilt as a behaviour management tool might teach young people to rely on shame and blame when interacting with others.
2. What alternative approaches could foster growth? Could curiosity, dialogue, or empathy achieve the same behavioural outcomes without the emotional cost?

Guilt as control reinforces systemic inequities by discouraging critical thinking and fostering abusive relationships.  To move awaycut from these harmful patterns, we need to explore methods that prioritise collaboration and mutual respect over compliance and authority. (Could include some methods here as examples)

A critical reflection: From engagement to grooming? A critical reflection

Finally, outside of schools, the wider youth sector is not absolved of responsibility. We often see practitioners relying on a well-meaning approach to connect with young people: engaging them through their interests. While this method can effectively build trust, it can also mirror the tactics used in harmful grooming practices—blurring the line between authentic relationship-building and subtle manipulation.

For example, after earning a young person’s trust through activities they enjoy, we might use that trust to encourage them to take part in into activities interventions they initially resisted. Phrases like, “Just give it a go,” or, “You’ll see, it’s worth it,” can unintentionally create a dynamic where young people feel obligated to comply,- not because they see the value, but only because of the relationship they have with the practitioner.

Despite good intentions, these practices can have long-term impacts on a young personpeople’s perceptions of autonomy and trust. 

• Are we teaching young people that they owe compliance to adults who do “nice” things for them? 
• Are we inadvertently modelling relationships where their autonomy is secondary to our goals?

This reflection can be difficult, but discomfort is often where meaningful growth begins. For those feeling challenged, we pose two questions:

1. What is the worst outcome if we fail to acknowledge our practices as potentially harmful?
   By ignoring these parallels, we risk reinforcing inequitable power dynamics, leaving young people vulnerable to harmful expectations of compliance and gratitude. Ignorance, in this case, is neither bliss nor equitable.
2. What is the worst outcome if we acknowledge our practices as potentially harmful?
   We practicse with greater care, caution, and reflection. This doesn’t mean abandoning relationship-building; rather, it means ensuring our practices prioritise transparency, autonomy, and critical decision-making for the young people we work with.

If we are to truly support young people, we must disconnect decouple our practices from these problematic dynamics. 

Ethical engagement requires more than trust—it demands opennesstransparency, mutual respect, and a commitment to make critical decisions.fostering critical decision-making. Young people deserve meaningful relationships that support them to question and choose, not dynamics that subtly condition them to comply.

A broader approach to youth engagement

This blog is not about abandoning what works—it’s about reimagining how we engage with young people in ways that truly honour their full humanity and autonomy . The connections we explored highlight where our practices can evolve. This means:

• Moving beyond compliance: Shifting from methods that prioritise control to those that encouragefoster reflection, agency, and critical thinking in young people.
• Valuing individuals: Building environments where young people are seen and valued as whole individuals, not just as participants in or outcomes of a programme.
• Severing harmful connections: Recognising where our practices mirror broader systemic inequities and actively working to disrupt these patterns for more equitable engagement.

By addressing these areas, we take a critical step towards creating systems and practices that empower young people—not to conform, but to thrive.

A New Year’s resolution

At Class 13, we’re committed to helping professionals navigate the complexities of equity and education. In early 2025, alongside our Foundational Learning programme, we’rell launchinglaunch a groundbreaking initiative: Equity-Focused Safeguarding Training—the first of its kind! 

This spring, we’re offering the first session inaugural iteration of this training free of charge to participants. If you’d like to be notified when dates are released, sign up to our waiting list [here].

Let’s begin 2025 with purpose—cutting ties to harmful practices and committing to systemic transformation. Together, we can build structures that truly serve young people and their communities. Join us in making this a year of equity, reflection, and change. Stay tuned for updates and opportunities to engage!