Black Tailored Schools the November

Black Tailored Schools

The November 6, 2007 report by education reporters Kirstin Rushowy and Louise Brown describes yet another attempts to resolve family social problems with government interventions; this time, the issue revolves around creating an "African centered alternative school," which is intended to address the "failings" of the public school system in Toronto in its goals to education the black African minorities of that city (p.1 of 3, found online at the Star.com). That children fail to academically thrive in an academic setting, where the only factor that can be pin-pointed in the learning achievements of a minority - any minority - versus the majority; is an indication that there is something far greater going on in the life of the child that should be the focus of the learning disparity. To create separate institutions of education is segregationist, and sets back the achievements of social integration and cultural tolerance and the acceptance of diversity that have been hard fought for over the past two centuries, and have achieved significant progress to date.

It is to the credit of Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty that, in 2005, he publicly opposed the creation of schools that separate the races in Ontario. That it is perceived by proponents of racially separate schools that separation of the races would be conducive to greater success in learning for students of African heritage is absurd, and grasping for solutions to a problem that is much more complex than separating the races, and which is more likely to be rooted in socio-economic factors than in cultural heritage. Those socio-economic indicators might be closely related to racial separation than because of racial integration. That is certainly an almost immediate thought that comes to mind when the authors of the article cite as examples of successfully separated schools in Detroit and other predominantly African-American settings. The suggestion that Detroit schools focus on black history specifically over "history" as it is inclusive of the founding and the evolution of the United States as a major world leader; should raise questions in the minds of the reader. It would be difficult to believe that students in the Detroit system are focusing on solely African-American history, as opposed to historical significant events and information that are inclusive of black and white history, especially since it was together, along with other cultures and races that American history exists today.

The reporters cite the support of professionals like sociology George Dei, who is quoted as saying that a racially separate school is long overdue; is either sad, or arises out of the social scientist's desire to study such an "experiment." And we must call that an experiment, because there is no data to support that that a racially segregated school for black, by blacks, about blacks would be more academically successful than a racially mixed school. Also, the benefits to be gained from racially integrated environments are too numerous to list, but certainly are benefits that are conducive toward the direction of a world community wherein diversity and racial integration will prove significant in the future.

The education reporters of the article cite complaints by students who charge that white teachers give up on them, do not take them seriously as students, and that they detect a difference in the attitude of the teacher towards them that they do not note in the teacher's approach or perception of white students. First, if we finding students making those complaints about teachers, there should be some immediate and serious evaluation of the teacher, and perhaps even training for social sensitivity that such a teacher might be lacking.

In conclusion, it is evidenced by a review of the information in table 4.3, it quickly becomes clear that there is a move afoot to - according to the table - to cause social welfare agencies and the government to be more proactive in addressing the needs of minority students. This may be a good idea, and certainly a necessary move if inability to learn is indicative of a other underlying issues that are adversely impacting a student's ability to academically thrive in a racially integrated setting.

Social welfare and government intervention is not going to change a student's motivation and ability to learn if the student is not receiving the support of his or her parents and family, beginning at an early age. It is more likely that students charges that there is a difference in an instructor's attitude and approach to teaching them based on race, are looking for answers to their own feelings of inferiority and low self-esteem as a result of not having had the support or closeness in a family setting that prepares young people for academic success. These are the problems that must be examined, and the problems that the creation of an Africancentric and racially separate school will not resolve.