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TDSB Ponders Black-Focused Schools

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I am fully against this proposal in principle but that doesn't change the facts on the ground that there is a problem with respect to graduation rates among black youth. So who am I to piss on someone's initiative who thinks that this will make a difference. That said I really question the argument that the curriculum or system is somehow bias as a main contributer to the low graduation rates among Black youth. No kinding the system is eurocentric and bias in favour of anglo caucasian success, welcome to the real world. Everyone who is a minority knows that you have to be better than the other guy to reach the same goal. How you deal with this fact, as a source of defeat and frustration or challenge and source of strength is up to you.
 
No kinding the system is eurocentric and bias in favour of anglo caucasian success, welcome to the real world. Everyone who is a minority knows that you have to be better than the other guy to reach the same goal. How you deal with this fact, as a source of defeat and frustration or challenge and source of strength is up to you.

Interesting. How is the system eurocentric and with the bias you describe? I suspect it probably still does tend this way as changes to the school system have probably not kept apace with changes to population demographics. That said, how does this play out specifically?
 
Yes we all did read the whole article. I realize there are schools based on Gays, Christians, Jews, etc. That's not the point though. We went through this during the election and agreed that in general, it's a bad idea, lets not repeat that and move on to new territory or do you want me to put QED after all my thoughts?

I wasn't talking about you. It was directed at one particular person, hence me quoting that person.
 
what's next...
a school for muslims students only, or oriental students,

These schools already exist in the GTA, but only as private schools. In Scarborough (and probably many other areas with Muslim populations) there are schools exclusively for Muslim boys or girls, often located in industrial parks or office space in shopping plazas. There's at least one school (Montessori) which was founded by Chinese people and is marketed largely towards the Chinese.

Back to "Black focused schools". I really hope that this does not bog down the entire City of Toronto into a massive racial debate. Many of the major American cities around Toronto (such as Detroit or Buffalo) seem to never be able to get anything done because it seems like almost every city discussion or plan always devolves into a debate about race (ie. black vs. white). I'd really hate to see Toronto fall into this pit... it would hurt the city's image, and it would do no good for the development of the city.
 
Interesting. How is the system eurocentric and with the bias you describe? I suspect it probably still does tend this way as changes to the school system have probably not kept apace with changes to population demographics. That said, how does this play out specifically?
It's been over fifteen years now since I left high school, but I recall my English class being concentrated on the classics, such as Shakesphere, Milton, Poe, etc. However, the Anglo type system certainly has been successful in India and other ex-pat or former British territories.
 
It's been over fifteen years now since I left high school, but I recall my English class being concentrated on the classics, such as Shakesphere, Milton, Poe, etc. However, the Anglo type system certainly has been successful in India and other ex-pat or former British territories.

The thing is though, you have to remember, English class is English! Historically
of course your going to have a predominantly Anglo-saxon view. In HS I remember studying black history/literature during black history month, even then it was mostly relegated to the US black literature (I mean what else are they gonna teach in English class? not Swahili I hope).
 
One can assume that there are a whole bunch of stereotypes at work here. Asia is a geographic region from which there are many cultural populations. The same would go for the designation of "black;" excessive emphasis on skin colour or racial features easily blinds people from the more subtle qualities of localized culture and individual difference. The irony is that the desire to create "black" schools is an idea built upon 19th century racial stereotyping, and a 1960's reinterpretation of those ideas. It's hard to see how it could be helpful.

You're totally right, it seems we can't decide whether we want to live in a pluralist or assimilist society. While some whites and blacks continue to duke out antiquated divisiveness, other ethnicities are surpassing them academically and filling up whatever available job positions there are. Assuming everyone's the same and getting the same level of education is what's fundementally flawed about the TDSB. We can have federally funded Catholic schools and other tax-deductable Native, faith and language-based schools (race plays a large factor in who enrolls) but when it comes to blacks we look away because it's seemingly a lost cause. There are alot more factors than just one-on-one mentorship that stereotypically perpetuate black hardships but I feel there might be a higher graduation rate if students can function without the constant threat of segregation on their minds. Alot of the urban poor grow up in single-parent, multi-sibling households in neighbourhoods of high risk, where community-based activities, specifically geared employemnt oppurtunities and food/clothing asistence would go along way in convincing black youth that their lives have value and can break out of the ghetto trap.
 
This does sound like a misguided idea. What exactly is a black school program supposed to be about anyway? What does someone from Jamaica have in common with someone from Sudan, a Francophone from Haiti, a Muslim from Nigeria or an Ethiopian Jew? Except for the colour of their skin, which even that can vary greatly from one part of Africa to another, Canadians of African descent can have little in common with regards to culture, language, customs, ideas on family and religion, etc.

This will turn into a Safe Schools Act dumping zone, with principals quickly telling every troubled black kid in their school that there's a school made just for them.

They would likely focus more on Black Canadian History and their contributions.

I don't think this is a good idea. The great thing about public school is the exposure you get to different people, ideas, etc.

I think the curriculum needs to be overhauled to provide a more balanced look at things.
 
For this to be a viable solution to a real problem there would have to be a relationship between time in school and worsening performance. How can one place blame for poor outcomes on the school environment, if evidence shows problems precede entry. I would bet that if one was to look at their OSR's they would find that problems were their from the beginning.
 
They would likely focus more on Black Canadian History and their contributions.

The biggest problem is that "Black Canadian" history doesn't really speak to most of the black residents of Toronto, many of whom come from places like Somalia and Jamaica with their own very distinctive cultures and histories.
 
if a school is in an area where there is a large population of students whose parents are immigrants from country "A", why not offer a "A" culture class?

you don't need to create a whole separate school. this proposal will do more harm that good. even the mention of this proposal probably has some negative effect.

I thought the same thing; it sounds like a completely reasonable and obvious approach.
 
The biggest problem is that "Black Canadian" history doesn't really speak to most of the black residents of Toronto, many of whom come from places like Somalia and Jamaica with their own very distinctive cultures and histories.

What is to be done then? If the TDSB doesn't endorse this someone will cry racism because the status quo will be seen as getting better treatment than blacks. If they do go through with it, again the racist flags will fly because it'll be veiwed as separating the blacks from everyone else despite the fact no one, black or otherwise, is forced to attend.

Complaining that there cannot be a unifying curricula because the student body is from different countries is illogical since the eurocentric curricula is taught without an afterthought of whose Canadian-born, American white, European white, Australian white plus every non-white in attendence. They're all taught the same. I'm sure it'd be very simple to organize a multi-perspective history class without neglecting the diversity among blacks themselves.
 
Another thing I fear about such a school is what function it would provide within the system. Would this be a school where middle-class black families send their children by choice to help them excel? Unlikely. More likely this will be a "not my problem anymore" school of last resort that good natured white principals suggest to the concerned mothers of underperforming black students. In other words a rubber room school. The administration of the school would then be under intense pressure to produce performance results in the form of higher graduation rates. This would be easy to accomplish but is it education in the end that would suffer?
 
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