Football's unique strength

By Michael Harrold in Manchester

Kick it Out's education conference in Manchester on Tuesday highlighted the importance of football in spreading the anti-racism message in British schools. As the conference illustrated, football is playing an increasingly influential role in helping to rid society of racism, not just within the game.

Football's role
The conference, organised by English football's anti-racism campaign, brought together teachers, educators, professional clubs and representatives of community groups from across the country to discuss football's unique capacity to reach out to children, and how, in the words of Steve Smith, manager of the Leeds United AFC Learning Centre, this is "changing the world for good".

English education work
Smith was one of a number of speakers addressing the 220 delegates at Manchester United FC's Old Trafford stadium and he highlighted the educational work clubs in England are doing in schools to combat racism. Smith works directly with children in the classroom, teaching them through role play, among other methods, about the ignorance and blight of racism. The key is empowerment, letting the children themselves decide what is right and wrong. "It is about equipping and empowering young people and then standing back and seeing what they are capable of," he said.

Sport's importance
Smith's work reflects how important the sport has become in fighting racism in schools, but also how it can be used to tackle other issues such as social exclusion, self-esteem problems and the role of the individual in society as a whole.

Role models
Former Leeds defender and South African international Lucas Radebe works alongside Smith in getting the club's anti-racism message across and the question of how best to involve more professional footballers in this kind of activity was discussed. But, it was stressed, good role models begin at home, and it was the coaches, teachers, mentors and volunteers "on the coalface" that would have the greatest impact on a youngster's development.

Compelling interest
As Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) inspector Scott Harrison illustrated, football's impact on the classroom need not even involve direct intervention from the clubs. Harrison, a specialist Ofsted advisor for citizenship classes in British schools, believes football is a "compelling interest" from which children can reflect on issues affecting society.

Opportunity to talk
"If children are aware of racism on the terraces and even on the pitch, citizenship gives them the opportunity to discuss this," Harrison said. "It also gives them the opportunity to discuss things like national identity and why we are the multi-cultural country we are.

Challenging prejudice
"They can discuss the racism, they can reflect on their own views they can learn to challenge prejudice they can learn to read the media critically. Citizenship empowers young people to campaign to take their views forward and to learn how to bring about change, and if football happens to be the topic and it is of compelling interest then as long as they see bigotry on the terraces or on the pitch they can campaign against racism and I believe this is a model for action in other areas that affect young people's lives."

Hope for the future
Manchester United chief executive David Gill spoke of how "the motivational pull of football" can be used to inspire and build self-confidence in Britain's youth and the wide-ranging scope of the conference offered much hope for the future. But as Kick It Out chairman Lord Ouseley said, the fight is ongoing. "Our work is not only about attitude and behaviour," he said. "It is about changing structures within not only the game but in influencing all our institutions."