This is my final article and over the weeks what image had you formed in your mind of me? We all see the world through a particular perspective and I see things from a black female perspective, because that is how I am seen. I can’t hide my colour, therefore my history.

This is Black History Month yet schools mainly teach American Black History? Britain has a black history. Nobody talks about the presence of black people in Roman Britain, or the many black people over the centuries living and working in Britain, often mixing with Kings and Queens. We do not talk about Britain’s financial gain from the cruelty of slavery which funded Britain’s industrial revolution; or about King George III wife, Princess Charlotte, who was mixed race (German and Negro). We ignore the significance of the role of the Commonwealth nations fighting alongside Britain in so many wars.

This lack of basic knowledge breeds ignorance, racism and discrimination, and education has a major role to play in dealing with these.

I still turn up at schools where it ‘feels’ as if teachers are surprised to see a black teacher. On one occasion I turned up in a timely manner to prepare myself and was asked to wait in the reception, even though I had told the person I was there to teach. Eventually (half an hour later) another member of staff appeared and I told her who I was, she let me in. At another school, I was told that parents have to wait in the playground, as the staff member walked away without listening. There are still schools with no black teachers, although several black teacher assistants. Many schools only see black staff at the end of the day, when the cleaners appear.

Are we giving lip-service to Black History Month? If we call it black month, then there will be no problem, as during the month many schools try to make the children aware of notable black people (usually Americans). But, if the word ‘history’ is to be integral to the month then it has to be taught. In the programme, ‘Who do you think you are?’ with Sebastian Coe, he found that he had roots in Jamaica. As a nation this should not surprise us because we are connected, often by flesh and blood.

If there is such a thing as post-traumatic stress I think there may be a psychological legacy for enslaved descendants. People in the Big Brother household go there by choice. People who ended up on the island of Jamaica for generations, were not enslaved by their choice. The psychological legacy of slavery has been ignored. We know that psychological damage is common to anyone kidnapped and abused, and based on that knowledge, what impact could that have on entire nations? We can but imagine. Everyone black was considered to be a commodity, or dare I say a ‘human resource’.

During the recent riots David Starkey made some assumptions that were incorrect. I then read comments on the TES website from professionals about the riots. I felt hurt and shocked that some professional staff had such racist attitudes and aired them so openly. I wondered what attitude these adults had towards any black students.

The statement that children are our future rings true and I have found them to be accepting and on the whole do not see colour negatively. Yet I am aware that there are still many in our societies who think black people can only work in a few career segments of society. Let us all work together with respect and contribute to each other with our varied skills.

If you have missed the rest of Nardia Foster's series, click on the links below:

• Supply Teaching: "Getting your life back"
• Supply Teaching: Expectations
• Supply Teaching: Why are some people against religious education teaching?