A new report from the University of Birmingham has sparked intense debate by calling for the abolition of traditional exams and essay writing, arguing they unfairly advantage white students and are rooted in 'colonial legacies'.
The Core Argument: Assessment as a 'Tool of Exclusion'
The document, produced by the university's business school, contends that conventional assessment methods like timed, in-person examinations and graded essays are measures of 'smartness based on white privilege'. It states that these practices make it inherently harder for students from ethnic minority backgrounds to achieve top grades.
The report, titled 'Decolonising a business school in context: from theory to practice', is part of a three-year project. It decrees that business degrees must actively change their structures to sever connections with 'colonialism and its legacies'. The paper concludes that such assessment methods 'perpetuate systemic inequalities', marginalise knowledge from non-Western traditions, and should be viewed as 'tools of exclusion'.
Proposed Reforms and Wider Academic Backing
Instead of high-pressure exams, the report advocates for alternative 'low-stakes assessments'. Suggested replacements include tasks like writing reflective journals, which are perceived as more equitable.
This viewpoint found strong support in an accompanying commentary from Professor Sally Everett of King's College London. She elaborated on the 'unearned advantages of being white' and the 'privileges of whiteness', firmly backing the move to 'decolonise assessment' across higher education.
The initiative forms part of an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) drive launched by Birmingham's business department following the Black Lives Matter protests. Other activities under the project have included taking business students to art galleries for sessions analysing paintings and sculptures through the lens of critical race theory.
Criticism and Defence of the Findings
The report's conclusions have drawn sharp criticism from educational campaigners. Chris McGovern, of the Campaign for Real Education, said he was 'saddened to see academic integrity being brought into disrepute in this way'.
He insisted: 'Traditional forms of written assessment discriminate on the basis of intelligence, not on the basis of race. Students from the global south are being patronised, infantilised and demeaned by treating them as intellectually inferior and incapable.' McGovern added, 'We need a decolonisation of the woke empire, not a dismantling of the foundation stones of the Western world.'
In response, a University of Birmingham spokesman defended the project as 'a product of academically rigorous research'. The spokesman stated, 'Birmingham Business School is a global business school educating students from all over the world. Understanding the world from multiple perspectives is a critical skill that we teach our future business leaders.'
The move by Birmingham is not isolated; it aligns with a broader push within UK universities to address awarding gaps and reconsider assessment methods deemed biased against certain student groups. It remains unclear how many academics have implemented the report's specific recommendations to date.
