Am I the only one bothered by some school murals?

Tata FrikyAm I the only one bothered by some nursery-school murals? 👀07:52

This morning I saw a school full of little pupils in uniform. On its wall were painted children who looked nothing like them.

I stood there looking like someone judging a painting at 7:52 a.m. Which was exactly what I was doing 💀

Tata FrikyYes, but it isn't just skin tone. The hair, the faces, even the setting. The picture could be from a different school in a different country.

Tata FrikyI haven't counted every school. I still see it around me. Do you see it where you live?

Tata FrikyI wonder. A template the painter knows? An image found online? An old mural nobody replaced? An idea of what looks “modern”?

Tata FrikySounds possible. I can't read a school's intentions from its wall.

Tata FrikyOf course. They can love pictures from anywhere. That's not my problem.

What bothers me is when the children shown learning, playing, and succeeding almost never look like them. Especially at THEIR school.

One mural alone won't decide a child's self-esteem. But an image seen every morning joins the books, ads, and cartoons they see too.

Tata FrikySame. My afro was never invited to the princess contest 😭

Tata FrikyI don't want to put a wall on trial. But someone chooses the picture, someone approves it, and everyone gets used to it. We can look again and choose better.

Parents can ask without attacking. The school can ask pupils and families what they'd like to see. The painter can offer other references.

Tata FrikyExactly. A local illustrator or painter could draw varied children, hairstyles, games, and a classroom the pupils recognise.

That would give a local creator work, too. Afrikyf has a Week Goal about that.

Tata FrikyNo. I just want pupils to see themselves in the story their own school tells.

Next time you pass a nursery school, look at the characters. Then look at the children. Tell me what you see.