It's a day late and a dollar short, but as promised here's a little rage on the subject of afrocentric schooling in Toronto. It's an important issues to me, so no cut-tabs
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The members of the community (which is defined I know not how) who I see on TV seem to support it...
I also wonder if that is wide-spread "community" support (as you say, what defines this community?) or if the media is simply focusing on the supporters as a way of artificially polarizing public opinion.
I think the focus is wrong. I mean, I appreciate what they are trying to accomplish but instead of starting seperate schools to empahasize 'black role models' (to use your example), why don't we fix the regular school system so these educational experiences and role models are available there?
There is ABSOLUTELY a problem with the school system functioning under a coat of whitewash (and male, and straight and whatever matches up with the general demographic of those who run our corner of the world), but I think that this ia a very important issue that has to be dealt with in that system, rather than removing it to a seperate system altogether.
To say it in a very basic, specific way... white kids need black role models too.
Having said that, I don't know what to do about it. Since I have no children, I also have no contact with the school system.
I think that this ia a very important issue that has to be dealt with in that system, rather than removing it to a seperate system altogether.
Ideally, I agree with you. But this has been a problem for a long time and thus far very little seems to have been done to address it. So I understand the desperation of parents who's kids are being left out by current system. I understand that they don't feel they can wait for ideal solutions -- especially when no one in power seems committed to working such a solution.
Having said that, I don't know what to do about it. Since I have no children, I also have no contact with the school system.
And maybe that's a big part of the problem. How do you bring about such a fundamental shift in a huge social institution like education?
As a sort-of teacher, though not in Canada, it's an interesting idea, but I'm not sure how it would work. For Hebrew and Catholic schooling, part of the purpose is indoctrination and to limit outside views, which IMO goes against the purpose of education (opening minds). I'd be interested in working at a non-Eurocentricly oriented school (though not sure they'd want to hire Europhile me) and can see ways to make that work in a broad-based, humanities-driven way, but am not certain that'll hold up when the focus is so specific. Isn't that just switching the continent of bias?
(And there are dozens of other issues, including a great one rpriske mentioned, but that's where my mind went first.)
Yes. Which isn't ideal either. But bear in mind, these systematic inequities aren't something which have recently come to light. For years and years and years minority groups have been advocating for a more equitable curriculum. And most people it seems were indifferent to the plea.
Now those same advocates have decided they can't wait any longer and if the school system is going to be bias anyway, they want the option of bias in their favour. It sucks and it's counterproductive. Still, I find it highly hypocryptical that so many people are now voicing their displeasure at this extreme measure, and yet so many seemed willing to turn a blind eye to the problems that got us here in the first place.
Still, I find it highly hypocryptical that so many people are now voicing their displeasure at this extreme measure, and yet so many seemed willing to turn a blind eye to the problems that got us here in the first place.
Your post illustrates the problem I have with radio call-in shows. They allow many people to reel off an ill-conceived opinion, and provide nothing to question that opinion or make these people think about what they are saying at all. In particular, CBC's "Vox Box" is just a machine that records comments and then plays them back. They do their best to have editorial comments made by the people they choose to interview, but they can't do the same for callers
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I support the idea for this school in theory, however I'm extremely skeptical of the implementation, and with something like this implementation is everything. I think if you can create an environment where a certain group of students will be less likely to act out or feel disenfranchised, then that's great. But it takes more than a simple curriculum change to make that happen. It will totally depend on the teachers and other people running the place. I don't think they've shown a decent plan for how they'll make that happen yet. So far it's all been fluffy, "we'll set up a program" talk.
If you positioned this school as "a program to aid troubled adolescents from different cultures, with emphasis on their own culture" no one would be complaining. But call it "School for Black kids" and everyone is up in arms.
Here in NZ we have full Maori language immersion schools. There were fears (probably realistic) that Maori language was dying in the early 1980s so they set up Kohanga Reo (trans: Language Nest) kindergartens, where children were entirely taught in Maori. They've become very successful and they've since flowed through to primary, and secondary schools which adopt the same principle. They're a model internationally - Hawai'i and a couple of other places have followed along.
Their primary purpose is language, but they also have strong cultural, educational differences etc. They're funded in the same way as the rest of our public school system, and non-Maori kids can go to them just as much as Maori kids.
To me the idea of a school with a different focus isn't that unusual.
And if some of the middle class white people sent their kids to this new school, then surely that would prove that it wasn't about segregation, but was about teaching from different perspectives?
When I was visiting New Zealand and Australia, I remember being very aware of how differently the native populations fared in each country.
Of course, as a tourist my observations were very superficial. But New Zealand seemed far more committed to the preservation and revitalization of Maori culture, as compared to Aboriginal groups in Australia. Sadly, Australia reminded me a lot of Canada in that sense.
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I mean, I agree with you that "in theory I support the idea of schools with a specific cultural/religious focus".
But like you, I don't know HOW these schools will be run or what the curriculum will be.
The members of the community (which is defined I know not how) who I see on TV seem to support it...
Reply
I also wonder if that is wide-spread "community" support (as you say, what defines this community?) or if the media is simply focusing on the supporters as a way of artificially polarizing public opinion.
Reply
There is ABSOLUTELY a problem with the school system functioning under a coat of whitewash (and male, and straight and whatever matches up with the general demographic of those who run our corner of the world), but I think that this ia a very important issue that has to be dealt with in that system, rather than removing it to a seperate system altogether.
To say it in a very basic, specific way... white kids need black role models too.
Having said that, I don't know what to do about it. Since I have no children, I also have no contact with the school system.
Reply
Ideally, I agree with you. But this has been a problem for a long time and thus far very little seems to have been done to address it. So I understand the desperation of parents who's kids are being left out by current system. I understand that they don't feel they can wait for ideal solutions -- especially when no one in power seems committed to working such a solution.
Having said that, I don't know what to do about it. Since I have no children, I also have no contact with the school system.
And maybe that's a big part of the problem. How do you bring about such a fundamental shift in a huge social institution like education?
Reply
(And there are dozens of other issues, including a great one rpriske mentioned, but that's where my mind went first.)
Reply
Yes. Which isn't ideal either. But bear in mind, these systematic inequities aren't something which have recently come to light. For years and years and years minority groups have been advocating for a more equitable curriculum. And most people it seems were indifferent to the plea.
Now those same advocates have decided they can't wait any longer and if the school system is going to be bias anyway, they want the option of bias in their favour. It sucks and it's counterproductive. Still, I find it highly hypocryptical that so many people are now voicing their displeasure at this extreme measure, and yet so many seemed willing to turn a blind eye to the problems that got us here in the first place.
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I couldn't agree more with this.
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I'm also skeptical for all of the same reasons.
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Exactly.
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Their primary purpose is language, but they also have strong cultural, educational differences etc. They're funded in the same way as the rest of our public school system, and non-Maori kids can go to them just as much as Maori kids.
To me the idea of a school with a different focus isn't that unusual.
And if some of the middle class white people sent their kids to this new school, then surely that would prove that it wasn't about segregation, but was about teaching from different perspectives?
Reply
Of course, as a tourist my observations were very superficial. But New Zealand seemed far more committed to the preservation and revitalization of Maori culture, as compared to Aboriginal groups in Australia. Sadly, Australia reminded me a lot of Canada in that sense.
Reply
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