Toronto schools, segregation

The dreaded "s" word

"The problems faced by black students in Toronto's school system are well known: higher dropout rates, lower average marks, higher rates of suspension and dismissal, and so on. Are special black-only or "black-focused" schools the answer to these problems? Certainly not. The last thing Toronto should do is to foster the sense of apartness that exists among some black youth."

So say the editorial writers of The Globe & Mail. The Toronto Star echoed similar views.

The Premier of Ontario has sort of ruled out such schools. I say "sort of" because he left the door open by saying he had no good evidence these schools worked. He has been known to change his mind on his positions, at least once or twice.

Why do black children not complete their basic high school education?

There do not seem to be simple or clear answers, which would suggest that there is a multiplicity of factors in play.

Some say it is a lack of Afro-centric thinking in the school curriculum. There needs to be more black history and black cultural classes.

Others argue that there are not enough black teachers. This is just a recruiting matter. One wonders, why, when the shortage was identified 15 years ago, this should still be an issue. Is it reflective of a lack of interest in the matter by the white education establishment?

Yet others say that the problem is not with the school, it is with the home life: absentee fathers, poverty stricken single mothers, shabby housing projects, etc. This is beyond a school and is a systemic problem that has no quick and easy cure.

Then there is the teenage rebellion problem exacerbated by a cultural issue. It is normal for teenagers to rebel against "the system." The added twist is that many black teenagers see themselves rebelling against "the white system." Black teachers are not excused in this condemnation as they are the systems agents.

The white system entails order, routine, discipline and the striving for good marks. Black students who try to adapt are branded as sell-outs by their fellow blacks. Low achievement becomes the badge of honour amongst blacks. Discipline is for others. School becomes irrelevant to their lives and they drop out.

There are those that blame all the ills of black students on overt or latent racism amongst school staff. This is easier said than proved. It is too often the accusation of first resort. When the race card is played, analysis of any other contributing problem stops while the racism issue commands all the attention.

The whites dont want black schools because it is an acceptance of segregation.

So what?

Black students are already self-segregated within the system, even if we dont want to acknowledge it. A decade and a half of blathering about these issues has not resulted in stemming the drop-out rate--it is worsening.

Forced segregation would be wrong, but optional and voluntary segregation is simply a free and democratic choice.

The push for a black focused school is coming from black parents and black educators. We beat up on the "black community" because its youth are shooting up neighbourhoods and killing each other. We expect the blacks to solve "their problems". However, when they offer up one useful option, the whites immediately dismiss it out of fear of appearing racist.

Perhaps the most articulate description of the black school concept was given by George Dei, an education professor at the University of Toronto. He wrote:

"A black-focused school is organized around communal principles and non-hierarchical structures. In making the totality of black-lived experience relevant to all parts of the curriculum, the school would foster the social, physical, spiritual, and academic development of students. In breaking down the separation between the formal school and the wider community, incorporating the family/home and the workplace, the school offers new and creative ways of thinking about knowledge, and then engaging students to use this knowledge to make positive social changes."

That is right on the money.

If we can get past our fear of the dreaded "s" word, we might just bump into another "s" word, surprise.

Gary Reid is a freelance writer and a public affairs consultant. Gary can be reached at .

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