Friday September 4th 2026
Teacher Cassie O'Neill receiving her award
Written by Glasgow View Reporter, Liam Eunson
An Inverclyde teacher has been presented with a national award for promoting equality and diversity.
Cassie O’Neill, who works at King’s Oak Primary, was named joint winner of The Herald Saroj Lal Award 2026 for a Pioneering Spirit in Equality and Diversity in June shortly before the summer holidays.
With the new term now underway, Cassie was presented with the award at the school by Vineet Lal, son of Saroj.
They were accompanied by Councillor Francesca Brennan, Inverclyde Council’s vice-convener of education, interim education director Michael Roach, head teacher Kirstin Glancy, depute head Lynne Wilson, TV presenter and activist Jean Johansson, and pupils who have been involved in racial literacy work.
The prize celebrates the work of teachers who actively challenge discrimination, demonstrating a pioneering spirit and determination in a bid to promote and facilitate a culture and ethos of equality and diversity – both in the classroom and beyond.
The award is named in honour of Saroj Lal, a trailblazing teacher, race relations campaigner and community activist who worked at the forefront of multicultural and anti-racist education in its early years, laying the foundations for many others to build on.
Cassie is the 2026 joint winner alongside fellow teacher Youssouf Kassime, from The Royal High School in Edinburgh, and lecturer Allan Smith from Dundee and Angus College, who have all been praised for being ‘inspirational educators’.
It is the second time a teacher from Inverclyde has won the award following on from then Newark Primary teacher Katie D’Souza, now at Inverkip Primary, who was named joint winner in 2022.
Cassie said: “It’s an honour to receive this award and for it to have been presented by Saroj’s son, Vineet, is extra special.
“Promoting equality and social justice is important to me and Saroj’s legacy continues to inspire me and others to champion inclusion and ensure it is at the heart of the curriculum and teaching.
“While this is an individual award and I am very proud of that, it’s also recognition and praise for the work and support of my colleagues, pupils, wider school community, and indeed the excellent work right across Inverclyde around diversity and inclusion.”
The 2026 season of the award is the fourth edition, and organisers say they had a record number of truly outstanding nominations were received from across Scotland – including, for the first time, nominations from the college sector.
Vineet, who is also an award panellist, said: “It was great to meet Cassie in person to present her award and see first-hand the trailblazing work she is doing at King’s Oak Primary.
“Cassie is an inspirational young educator who demonstrates the pioneering spirit in equality and diversity that this award is all about.
“She is a fantastic ambassador for the school, the council, and Inverclyde.”
The 2026 winners have been honoured for demonstrating what is possible when educators are willing to step beyond their comfort zones and lead this work in practice.
Councillor Francesca Brennan, Inverclyde Council’s vice-convener of education, said: “Cassie is an inspirational teacher and person and is very worthy of the 2026 Saroj Lal Award.
“She goes above and beyond to promote inclusion, diversity and challenge injustice, which is something we should be applauding.
“Congratulations to Cassie and King’s Oak for this well-deserved recognition and for the important work they are doing to ensure Inverclyde remains a welcoming and inclusive place for everyone.”
Judges praised Cassie and her fellow winners for being able to ‘step out of their comfort zone to make a difference in the area of equality and anti-discrimination’ and to ‘confront stereotypes, to challenge prejudice and to be comfortable with diversity’.
The King’s Oak teacher has led on various racial literacy projects and events in the school and invited high-profile guests, including Inverclyde TV presenter and activist Jean Johansson, to speak to pupils.
Cassie’s work helped shape the school’s equalities policy, Black History Month planner, and pupil-led projects, including a novel, Passing the Racism Border.
Tweet Share on FacebookNews
