Family of Wales' first black headteacher Betty Campbell call for more statues celebrating black history

The granddaughter of Wales' first black headteacher Betty Campbell, who is set to be honoured with a statue, has called for more statues of black people to be erected to celebrate their contribution to society.

Rachel Clarke, whose grandmother made history when she was appointed head of Mount Stuart Primary School in Cardiff in the 1970s, says statues need to better reflect black history.

''The presence and contribution that black people have made to this country has been huge and absolutely tremendous,'' Rachel Clarke said.

''I think more statues need to go up to reflect that point.''

It comes as Black Lives Matter protests saw some protesters tear down the statue of slave trader Edward Colston.

In Wales, there have also been calls to remove statues and monuments, including that of 'sadistic slave-trader' Sir Thomas Picton at Cardiff City Hall.

Rachel says a change in the syllabus in schools is needed to better inform pupils of the history of ethnic minorities in Wales.

''My grandmother was very very passionate about everybody's history being taught,'' she said.

''If you can't see a reflection of yourself then it doesn't help you to gain a sense of belonging and understanding.''

Rachel believes more work needs to be done to increase representation in history but also in the teaching profession that Betty worked in for years.

In 2019, of the 35,545 teachers registered with the Education Workforce Council, only 69 were black.

''The statues a great marker and it is right that it goes up, but the work still has to go on as there's still an absence of representation.''