Moral Leaders for Multicultural Britain: The Lives and Identities of UK South Asian Head Teachers

Abstract

While the South Asian population in Britain is diverse in terms of ethnicity (Pakistanis, Indians, Bangladeshis, and Sri Lankans) and religion (Hindu, Muslim, Sikh), South Asian educators have been underrepresented as school leaders and received little research attention. This chapter investigates the life histories of eight South Asian school leaders (four men and four women), and is part of a larger national study of three generations of UK Black and South Asian head teachers (28) across a 47-year-period (1968-2015). Participants were recruited through purposeful and snowball sampling and included 2nd generation UK head teachers of Pakistani, Indian, Bangladeshi, and Ugandan Asian background from five major UK cities. Narrative analysis revealed varied and complex social identities, which intersect with their ethnic and religious backgrounds and geographic locations and challenge essentialized notions of culture and "encapsulated" Asian communities. Themes from these life histories emphasize culturally responsive leaders who identify with the needs of recent immigrant children, incorporate local funds of knowledge in the curriculum, link their students with other ethnic and religious communities, and couch the mandated teaching of "Fundamental British Values" as humanistic concerns that transcend nation-states and specific religions. Importantly, they place moral purpose at the center of their leadership practices. This chapter extends the understanding of culturally responsive practices and moral leadership beyond a US centric framework. Keywords South Asian school leaders · Leadership practices · Social identities · Culturally responsive leadership · Moral leadership Schools across the UK (particularly England) have experienced rapid demographic shifts over the past 13 years. The proportion of pupils from ethnic minorities has risen steadily since 2006. In primary schools, over 33% of pupils are of minority ethnic origins (Department for Education [DfE], 2018a) and over 20% of pupils