Have we lost the ability to debate immigration – and what can education do about it?

Although net migration in the UK is falling, public concern remains high. Recent polling shows that immigration is a priority issue for many people, but that opinion is split almost evenly between those who want dramatic reductions in immigration, and those who oppose such measures or take a more moderate approach. Similar divisions appear across other Western democracies such as the USA, Germany, Sweden, France, Canada and Australia. Evidence suggests that these divides are putting a broader strain on social cohesion: many people are concerned about violence or hostility towards others because of their ethnicity or immigrant status but, equally, many people are unwilling to engage with those who hold different views.

Have we lost the ability to debate immigration? Furthermore – although it is easy to blame this on media front pages, inflammatory political rhetoric or social media disinformation – could it also point to issues in education?

What responsibilities do schools and educators have in preparing people to engage with contested questions of identity, population movement and belonging? Can schools respond to the bitter divisions in our society on such issues and cultivate a shared space of dialogue in classrooms? Should education do more to encourage students to engage with different knowledge systems from around the world, and cultivate empathy and responsibility towards refugees and migrants – or is that only engaging with one part of the problem? Fundamentally, what educational structures do we need to encourage meaningful engagement and trust in a polarised world?

This workshop will explore these questions as the first in a series of Faculty of Education events on education in an age of polarisation. Short provocations from academics and thinkers will kick-start the discussion, but our main goal is to listen and really understand the range of perspectives about how we got to this stage – and what we can do to remedy it. These insights will help us to shape future events, resources and, potentially, future research. Please join us as we explore how education might support stronger and more constructive public conversations on one of the defining issues of our time.