Black boys separate classes idea in Britian

[Kulmiye]

I was reading an article the other day on BBC Website. The article reported that the head of the Commission for Racial Equality in Britian suggested that black boys may have to be seperated from classmates to help improve school performance.

Mr Phillips did not call for a return to segregation. What he suggested was that black boys in the UK might benefit from being taught separately from other children in some subjects. He was not saying they would benefit, but that they might. His comments came after a visit to an all-black St Louis school, where boys were separated from girls, and achieved a 12% increase over eight months.

"The comments of Mr Phillips, a former television journalist, were made in a BBC documentary shown on while ago (in the London area) that had followed him on visits to his old London school and a new American experiment in St Louis, Missouri" (The Guardian).

 

 

What I think?

 

Being black male, and majoring in education this issue is very important to me. By saying that i am a propoment of iterracial harmony and cross-coulture understand I do believe that separating students on the grounds of race can never do anything except fuel racism and prejudice. I think this is a ****** and offensive idea. I didn't know that we had rewound and started back with segregation. Instead of trying to label black youths as 'problem children' they should start working with them and trying to make things better. Instead of pushing black people to the side as usual. Start working with them and see why they aren't doing as.The answer may lie in more black male teachers, curriculum changes that take into consideration vocational studies and an understanding of certain boys circumstances at home. Young black males need role models other than ball players and rappers.

[-Lily-]

K, it's the same old problems and no one can change them or wants to change them. Poor housing, broken families, ghetto areas, drugs, violence, no hope etc.

 

I understand where you are coming from but at the same time, think of those children who actually want to learn and whose classes are interrupted by (not being racist here, they are mainly black) rowdy children. Now you can say expell them, then what? End of education for them? I don't like the idea myself but I think he was referring to a more Reform type of school? Not that all black boys should automatically be sent to an all balck boy shcool? Single sex education has proven again and again that it is more productive than co-education.

[Naden]

I think it might work. A similar call was made in Ontario a few years ago and it garnered the usual white, liberal drivel of the benefits of integration. The sidelining of black children, especially boys, happens early on in the elementary stage through special education classes and other such 'therapeutic' interventions. Black children in general may benefit from separate schools, better facilities, better trained teachers, more rigorous curricula, greater expectations for academic advancement and higher study, and a greater exposure to world history and not white conquests alone. These would probably have to go together.

[ElPunto]

^I am not so sure. Black kids benefit from having good teachers and school facilities just like all other kids. This is available in a lot of mainstream schools. However, the one vital part missing in a lot of black homes is the encouragement and drive amibitious and forward looking parents inbue in their children so that they really strive and a 'C' doesn't elicit happiness. That latter point is something no black-only school can hope to overcome easily.

[Naden]

^ No doubt that a stable home where parents encourage excellence and higher study is a must for success. I think a segregated school might work only if the above conditions are met; it is not only the segregation that will be key. The goal is to remove black children from an environment where they are herded into 'special' education, streamed out of advanced classes, punished differentially and with severity under the guise of zero-tolerance of violence, and passed classes without effort because they make the basketball or the track team get awards. If a mainstream school can fight these discriminatory practices, then sure, a black child would do just as well as any child in a regular school.

[ElPunto]

Originally posted by naden:

^ No doubt that a stable home where parents encourage excellence and higher study is a must for success. I think a segregated school might work only if the above conditions are met; it is not only the segregation that will be key. The goal is to remove black children from an environment where they are herded into 'special' education, streamed out of advanced classes, punished differentially and with severity under the guise of zero-tolerance of violence, and passed classes without effort because they make the basketball or the track team get awards. If a mainstream school can fight these discriminatory practices, then sure, a black child would do just as well as any child in a regular school.

Well - ok - but where are the parents to stand up for their kids who are being unfairly treated or mistreated. These are the same parents of the kids in this black-only proposed school. Will they be aware of or even care if their kids complete their homework, get that college application in on time etc.? Can a black-only school play the role of parent that many black kids seem to lack? I have my doubts. My initial reaction to this proposal and the one in Canada was of serious misgivings and suspicions. But I wish them well - let's at least see how this may work.

[S.O.S]

His comments came after a visit to an all-black St Louis school,

where boys were separated from girls

, and achieved a 12% increase over eight months.

You're all missing the most important fact here. Facts and not your personal opinions should form the basis of discussions like this.

 

w/c

[ElPunto]

^Your fact relates to boy/girl separation so it doesn't apply to black/white separation which I and others were commenting on. I think it is fairly clear that separating girls from boys has a beneficial effect on boys' learning but separation of races has yet to demonstrate a similar result.

[S.O.S]

Mr Phillips

did not call for a return to segregation

. What he suggested was that

black boys in the UK might benefit from being taught separately

from

other children

in some subjects

If other children mean a mix of boys and girls, then separating black boys would improve their performance. Since he's not calling for gender separation in education, he may not be principally correct, but admit we must, that he's technically correct!

 

w/c

[Duufaan]

some times it does not matter how good you are educated, you still can be discriminated. There are all types of discrimination, testes are culture based, not mention teachers and school adminstration personals

 

As many pointed out parents make the differences. in my experience working different community schools in MN, this is not bad idea