Darren McGarvey is an Orwell Prize-winning author, broadcaster and hip hop artist. One of Scotland’s most influential cultural voices, he blends social commentary, memoir and sharp analysis across books, radio and the stage. His latest work, Trauma Industrial Complex and its accompanying live show, continues his exploration of inequality, lived experience and the stories we tell about ourselves. 

In his work with schools, colleges and professional learning programmes, McGarvey examines how environment, inequality and emotional literacy shape young people’s ability to learn. Drawing on lived experience and years of community engagement, he challenges educators to think critically about behaviour, wellbeing and narrative, and how trauma-aware practice can be implemented without slipping into oversimplification. His sessions invite practitioners to reflect on the realities facing learners while empowering them with practical, culturally grounded insight.

Darren delivered the session live on 14 January 2026. He started by referencing the activism of Erin Bleakley, a learner from Shettleston, in Glasgow’s East end, who received grades from the SQA based on its algorithm, during the 2020 pandemic. These were based on the past performance of her school, effectively defining her by her postcode. She has since gone on to graduate from the University of Glasgow with a 2:1 with honours in Geography, and is now pursuing a Masters in Climate and Environmental Science.

When we think of deprivation, we often look down rather than up. So, when we talk about young people being deprived, what are being they deprived of? Darren described the many safety nets that are in place for learners from more affluent families: they are given the benefit of the doubt; more margin for error; more space to make mistakes and time to learn from them; more opportunities for out of school learning and experiences; for ‘gap years’ - a whole year out from learning with no negative impact - and so on. For young people from deprived areas, the need to become resilient is more pressing, and their challenges compound each year.

In 1909, Woodrow Wilson, the president of Princeton University, said that one class should receive a liberal education, while the other should forgo that and do specific manual tasks. Has this changed? Has education become the great leveller? Or is it still about sorting people into jobs? There are only so many well-paid secure jobs  to go around, after all. Poor people often exit education sooner into precarious work. This is not about a lack of aspiration, but more because the system struggles to close the gap, Darren argued, instead it stabilises, manages and maintains it.

Children from poorer families aspire to great things when they’re little – astronauts, footballers, scientists! But somewhere along the way, they realise that there is a limit on what they are expected to achieve. Affluent young people are better insulated. Their parents know the language of the system and can advocate for their children. They assume university and a good job will come- and these are normal expectations. But for poorer learners, expectations are often revised down.

What does a private education buy? Darren described this as the freedom to fail safely; or even failure prevention; confidence; entitlement perhaps; and time to mature in a nurturing environment- like an insurance policy. Only 7% of learners attend private institutions, but they are dominant in lead roles. Social networks serve learners well when they leave school.

Educators in disadvantaged areas may aim to replicate this, but have far more limited resources. And for the children here, failure isn’t cushioned or prevented but is instead potentially devastating. There is much more scrutiny on them. There are many amazing educators out there doing a heroic job for learners in deprived communities, but it’s down to luck whether you get one.

If a learner from an affluent background ‘acts out’, this is often attributed to stress, anxiety or another psychological condition, and support will be sought; where for a disadvantaged child, the behaviour becomes problematic, ‘bad’ or somehow the moral failing of the family. Education still values compliance and the ‘standardised child’.

Darren talked about the work of Thomas Bryce set out in his book ‘The Orchid and the Dandelion’ - the notion that some learners are more resistant to adversity than others (and can thrive anywhere); and some are less biologically adapted to their environment and might be more reactive to their surroundings. Stress fractures energy. So what makes the difference between coping and struggling? What makes the most difference is having one consistent adult in your corner, who will hold you accountable. Psychological safety may not exist anywhere else for a child or young person but with that one trusted adult.

Darren went on to talk about youth voice and the need to not reduce this to narrow definitions. Sometimes it is the most confident whose voices are centred - the ones who self-select, and who have the ‘right’ language. But every child has a voice, and some might express how they feel through school refusal, lateness, absence, withdrawal or distressed behaviour. How well do we hear their voices? We need to hear the ones that may not be ‘easy’ to hear.

In summing up, Darren acknowledged that while we may not be able to change the bigger structures we work within, that we very much can influence our own contexts to accommodate the realities faced by our learners. Why not have a psychologist in every school, for example? (We have police officers for every school).

Young people from affluent families aren’t more capable- they’re just more protected and have been able to meet their developmental milestones. Those from poorer families are often navigating risk and dysfunction, so how much more stable does school need to be, to make up for that lack of stability?

Darren encouraged the room to always keep in mind the systemic reality, and not to get demoralised, but to remember their ‘why’- why they came into the profession in the beginning - to make a positive difference to every child’s life.

You can use the short video to open a dialogue with a small group of colleagues about deprivation, equity and inclusive practice for all learners. This could connect to work already ongoing, or planned, about equity in education; be clear on your purpose in sharing the video. What do you want to achieve by showing it and how will you agree actions, for example?  

Before sharing this video with others as part of their professional learning, watch it yourself to ensure you know the key messages. You might also want wish to familiarise yourself with some of the additional resources listed below and perhaps pick out one or two that are useful to signpost.  

It is important to consider how best to ensure a safe space for sharing and reflecting on the topic Darren covers in the video. You should agree ways of working with the group beforehand so everyone knows the behaviours that are expected, e.g., attentive listening, respectful comments, inclusive practice and language. These ‘ground rules’ should be generated by the group and recorded where they can be seen and referred to if needed. 

You could use a few of the following prompts to facilitate professional dialogue in pairs or small groups, or perhaps private reflections and note making where the questions feel more personal.

• What most resonated with you from the film? Why?
• Does your team stop to think enough about equitable and inclusive practices?
• If not, what could you do differently?
• What might a shift in practice mean for you and your individual practice?
• What could it mean for practice in your team/ department/ whole setting?
• What conditions exist in your setting that support a change/shift in practice and approaches to learners experiencing poverty or deprivation?
• Is there more you could do to strengthen those conditions? 

Encourage the group to identify a small number of manageable, collective actions that will contribute to an enhanced culture around equity and inclusion. You might ask the group to note down an individual action that they will commit to, that you can revisit at a later date. 

Visit Darren’s website

View some shorts based on Darren's recent BBC documentary series The State We’re In (Open University)

View Darren's tour dates for 2026 

In his session, Darren referred to the work of Thomas Boyce in his book The Dandelion and the Orchid. Watch the TEDxTalk featuring Thomas talking about his work. 

Search media articles online for Erin Bleakley and her activism in the wake of exam results during the pandemic. Follow Erin on LinkedIn to see what she did next.