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And while we're on the subject of systemic racism in academia, how about cancelling expensive tests like TOEFL and IELTS. They do nothing but verify we are brown sahibs: rich enough to perpetuate class divides at home through English, yet NEVER fluent enough to claim the language
The expense of taking TOEFL and IELTS already acts as a filter of who can (read: is wealthy enough) to go abroad. And what is the test even for? For checking whether we can speak the colonizer's language (with its specific inflections) better than our mother tongues?
I had to take language tests TWICE for studying English (although the university I finally went to for my MA did not require it). The irony of critiquing Macaulay while studying postcolonial theory in the UK is never ever lost on me.
I want to share (having heard from people who can't apply due to costs+weirdly poor scores) some insider knowledge: you can speak to your target uni to have the criteria waived. This is rare and no real solution, but it CAN happen. Please DM if you're in a fix: I'm happy to chat!
