Bradford Exhibition Highlights Migrant Children's School Experiences

Between 1965 and 1980, a policy known as "bussing out" was implemented in Bradford neighborhoods such as Manningham, where children from immigrant families were sent to schools far from their homes to limit ethnic minority representation to no more than 30% in any school. This policy, later deemed discriminatory and scrapped, left lasting memories for those affected, including Dr. Shabina Aslam, who has since created an immersive exhibition called Bussing Out that shares personal testimonies from 21 individuals who experienced this forced busing. Dr. Aslam and others emphasize that the policy was unevenly applied, with white children not being sent to inner-city schools, hindering true assimilation and pointing to the need for this hidden history to be remembered. Meanwhile, in other parts of the UK such as Banffshire, Forres, Moray, and Ross-shire, new Primary 1 pupils have recently started their school journeys in the 2025/26 academic year, with local newspapers featuring class pictures to celebrate and recognize the new students. These recent school start reports are community-focused and unrelated to the historical bussing policy in Bradford.