The Cambridge School Classics Project (CSCP) has spent over fifty years fulfilling its original mandate of researching and developing “materials and techniques which will accelerate and improve pupils’ ability to read classical Latin literature and widen their knowledge of classical civilisation.” These goals may not have changed, but the world has.
In the years since the creation of the North American 5th Edition, the social and therefore educational landscape has changed at speed. Movements such as #MeToo and Black Lives Matter have highlighted the need to ensure that educational materials promote values of inclusion and accessibility. All students and teachers should feel that they have a place in the Classics community and that their contribution is appreciated. It is these values, which led to the creation of Cambridge University Press’s DEI in the classroom series, that have been at the heart of the creation of the new North American 6th Edition.
Our aims in this work were shaped by our community. We engaged with teachers as well as their students and developed our principles of change, affectionately known as the res gerendae Caecilii, which included the following DEI related goals:
- Ensure suitability and accessibility for all classrooms.
- Improve representation of different sectors of society.
- Update the course to reflect current views on sensitive issues and associated language.
We have also taken to heart the principle that “accessible design is good design” and every aspect – from page width to font choice to color contrasts – has been selected to maximize accessibility. Huge thanks to the dyslexic student in one of our trial classrooms who made all the prevaricating worthwhile when she exclaimed (unprompted) “Wow! I can read this textbook easily, that never happens!”
Since becoming Director of CSCP I have been privileged to work alongside and learn from a range of outstanding North American educators, some CLC users, some not. I have particularly valued the amazing work done to promote inclusion and well-being in school communities. It is my hope that our new edition makes the work of such educators a little easier, and supports them in their efforts to create supportive, safe classrooms for our students.
We began the process of writing the UK 5th Edition, on which this 6th North American Edition draws heavily, in March 2020. I thought that this would be the most memorable thing about that time. I was wrong. Education is a difficult field in which to work even when times are good. I would like to end this note in humble acknowledgment of the teachers who offer their students not only knowledge and skills but also compassion and support, no matter what the world throws at them.
About the author
Caroline Bristow has been the Cambridge School Classics Project (CSCP) director since 2018. In addition to her extensive teaching experience and work with the UK Department of Education, she has also held pastorally-focused roles throughout her teaching career, working with victims of violence and abuse. She is a Non-Executive Director for Education of Innovating Minds, a company offering clinically-informed mental health support for schools and workplaces.
