Who gets to be smart - bri lee
Who gets to be smart? This is the title of the latest work from Bri Lee, and the question the book positions the reader to ponder. Who Gets to Be Smart takes a deep dive into the intricate systems of privilege and power inherent in educational institutions, from Oxford University to universities and schools right here in Australia.
The book opens at The University of Oxford, with Lee visiting a friend who has recently become a Rhodes Scholar. Lee initially grapples with feeling like she does not belong, and laments for a moment the fact that she has surpassed the age cap to become a Rhodes Scholar. However, it is during this visit that Lee first becomes wary of the very institutions she reveres so much.
From this point, Lee expertly unpacks a lot of history, ideas and data related to the notion of intelligence. Chapter two is dedicated to explaining and exploring kyriarchy; which is, as Lee writes, “a way of thinking about and understanding the accumulation and exercise of power, particularly in institutions”. The reader will more than likely be familiar with ideas of systems of oppression such as white supremacy and patriarchy. Kyriarchy (a term first coined by Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza) superimposes these systems, offering a broader and more intersectional lens with which to view and understand the structures and institutions that govern our society. Lee insists that while the notion sounds complex, it is in fact quite simple; she states that that kyriarchy is “all about the pyramid, and the top of the pyramid is about exclusivity. Our society is shaped in such a way that only a few may ever reach the top…in this way, the systems created by some humans legitimise the stratification of all humans”.
A chapter on schools in a book critiquing educational systems and institutions is to be expected, however the content of this chapter is still very much unsettling. The fact is that inequity between public and private schools is growing in Australia; non-government schools are receiving more than double the funding than government schools, despite the fact that our country’s most disadvantaged students – students from low socio-economic backgrounds, Indigenous students and students with disabilities – overwhelmingly attend public schools. An excerpt from Who Gets to be Smart reads “from 2007-2017, public school funding increased by 22 percent while private schools saw an increase of 46 per cent….88 per cent of children with the highest needs are still in public schools, with less funding”. Lee does not hold back from voicing her opinion that our education system here is riddled with discrimination, stating that we should be actively ashamed of the growing disparity between public and private schools.
Lee continues to navigate her way through difficult but important topics. The chapter on science critiques the way in which theories of white supremacy and eugenics play into our education systems and, more widely, the way in which intelligence is conceived and measured. It is difficult to do these notions justice – you’ll need to read the book yourself to truly understand – but the ideas in this chapter are very important, and their implications for today’s society quite scary.
The last chapter of Who Gets to be Smart focuses on 2020, and explores the Covid-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. These two events throw into sharp distinction what the book already makes clear; there are different rules for different people (and institutions) in our society. For example, Lee outlines the way in which, last year, our federal government offered private schools $3.3 billion to reopen in June to “avoid the economy grinding to a halt” – there was no similar offer for public schools. Australia’s Black Lives Matter protests began in June 2020. Lee writes that the gatherings were peaceful and considerate, with attendees handing out masks and sanitiser. Despite this, the police presence at these events was disproportionately huge, and Scott Morrison called for protestors to be criminally charged. Scomo’s reaction to public gatherings was vastly different earlier in 2020, when he dangerously allowed a Hillsong Conference with hundreds of attendees from interstate and overseas to continue during our first wave of Covid-19.
Who Gets to be Smart is a thoroughly researched, expertly written exposé. People who work in, or are interested in, politics and education would enjoy this thought-provoking read – but everybody should read this book. The ‘moralising’ of intelligence, the influence of institutions and the wielding of power and privilege are ideas that we all ought to be considering.
