Jani Rashid
Head of Diversity and Cohesion for Education
Bradford, Jani Rashid, began his working life in the
printing industry and studied for his City and Guilds
in Printing at Bradford Technical College in the early
1970s.
Jani joined W. N. Sharpe’s Ltd as apprenticeship printer
in October 1971, where he took up the role of apprentice
representative on the Chapel Committee (print trade union
committee). “I felt that apprentices had a raw deal in their
training. Nevertheless, I have fond memories of my experience
at Bradford Technical College, where I received a national
award for my studies. I will never forget Roger Sutcliffe, my
social studies tutor, who was really a frustrated folk singer.
Roger still calls me Iftikhar Johnny and continues to churn out
those old Dylan songs.”
As soon as Jani served his time he became Father-of-the-
Chapel and developed a new modular system of training for
apprentices. He was an active trade unionist and served on
the Branch Committee, where he had many achievements.
Jani spent his last 4 years in the printing trade as a working
director of a printing co-operative, Ujala Press Ltd, which he
had helped to set up, providing a translation and calligraphic
service, producing printed material in a number of local
community languages as well as in English.
“In 1976, fed up of being scapegoats for the far right, along
with other school friends we set up the Indian Progressive
Youth Association striving for racial equality and social justice.
Our first real challenge was facing the National Front in April
that year when they announced their intention to march on
Lumb Lane and hold an election meeting in Manningham Middle School – It was mayhem! Within 2 years we changed
our name to the Asian Youth Movement campaigning
locally and nationally gaining enormous support for many
campaigns. Ten years later we were still campaigning and
running a successful Saathi Centre for Asian youth. No longer
feeling the youth I was, I decided to retire from this role!”
By this time Jani had been working as a Personnel Officer for
the LEA for 2 years, providing policy advice and guidance on
ways of improving employment and service delivery to meet
the needs of Bradford’s diverse school communities. In 1992
he became Head of Service for Section 11 and Community
Support Service, managing a large team of staff supporting
schools with children with English as an additional language.
Jani developed a successful positive action scheme working
with teacher training staff at Bradford College to improve the
representation of bilingual and interculturally skilled staff in
our schools. This won an Award for Adult Education for the
Bilingual First School Assistants course and Jani received a
certificate from Anne Widdicombe.
In 2000 Jani was seconded to work in the Change
Management Division with the DfES where he developed
an innovative Fast Track Leadership Programme to improve
the representation of visible minorities within the senior
Civil Service. He returned to Education Bradford in 2004 as
Community Cohesion Project Manager supporting schools
with developing policy and initiatives to address equality,
diversity and community cohesion issues. In 2007 Jani
became Head of Diversity and Cohesion managing a large
team of staff who support schools through Bradford Interfaith
Education Centre, Schools Linking Project, Supplementary
Schools Education Service and Education Service for New
Communities and Travellers.
Photograph by Shelagh Ward