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Race, Schooling, and Segregation?
So, I have a question for my flist.
As some of you may have heard, the Toronto Public School Board just voted to open a "black-focused" school. The reasons cited, is that in Toronto, there is a higher high school drop out rate among black student (25% [African decent]-40% [Caribbean decent]), and they hope that having a focus school will help keep them in school.
My first reaction was, we want to keep kids in school (which I still stand by), but I'm really not sure this is the way to do it. No matter what they say, to me, it stinks of segregation. The school board tries to argue that it's not segregation if they can choose to go or not, but all I can think of is the segregation (where there is also a choice) going on in other parts of the country, especially Quebec and New Brunswick. All I've seen out of those situations is pain, and misunderstanding, which causes a divide that doesn't need to be there.
This is Canada's first "black" school, but I know America has some (and even more historically), so my question is, for those who have seen or experienced situations like this before, what do you think of this "solution"?
Also, off topic, but I can't tell you how much I *head desked* when I read the article about this in the Washington Times, when they talked about our "American Indians" WTF? I know that people sometimes have trouble figuring out what to call the Natives of North America in general, but what kind of name is American Indians? Especially for *Canadian* aboriginals. *shakes head*
As some of you may have heard, the Toronto Public School Board just voted to open a "black-focused" school. The reasons cited, is that in Toronto, there is a higher high school drop out rate among black student (25% [African decent]-40% [Caribbean decent]), and they hope that having a focus school will help keep them in school.
My first reaction was, we want to keep kids in school (which I still stand by), but I'm really not sure this is the way to do it. No matter what they say, to me, it stinks of segregation. The school board tries to argue that it's not segregation if they can choose to go or not, but all I can think of is the segregation (where there is also a choice) going on in other parts of the country, especially Quebec and New Brunswick. All I've seen out of those situations is pain, and misunderstanding, which causes a divide that doesn't need to be there.
This is Canada's first "black" school, but I know America has some (and even more historically), so my question is, for those who have seen or experienced situations like this before, what do you think of this "solution"?
Also, off topic, but I can't tell you how much I *head desked* when I read the article about this in the Washington Times, when they talked about our "American Indians" WTF? I know that people sometimes have trouble figuring out what to call the Natives of North America in general, but what kind of name is American Indians? Especially for *Canadian* aboriginals. *shakes head*
no subject
Would it have been so hard for this journalist to bother to find out the terms that First Nations people have decided are appropriate? 'American Indians' is totally inappropriate.
Re: the Toronto initiative - I can understand the arguments on both sides of this, but to me, creating a separate school is a band-aid solution. I would rather see a real, concerted effort to make all schools more inclusive of social difference (whether it be ethnicity or otherwise), and different histories, so that everyone feels comfortable and included (and so that there is cultural meaning for everyone). Of course, no one is ever going to feel comfortable and included at all times (that's life, and it's part of how we learn to work with and listen to each other), but to me it seems like a mistake to separate people - it promotes misunderstanding, ethnocentricity, and lack of communication as a whole. And it prevents us from developing shared cultural meaning for the future.
no subject
creating a separate school is a band-aid solution.
Yeah, that's the real problem. Also, can I just say, I was surprised at the drop out rates in general? I can't believe that something like 25% of kids drop out of high school. My mind totally boggles at that. I wonder if those figures are just for Toronto...
but to me it seems like a mistake to separate people
Word. Where I live, we have to deal with a lot of problems stemming from the French/English segregation, and it's *not* pretty, and in the long run, I think is more damaging than helpful.
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It seems really high. I know that 25% of my high school cohort certainly didn't drop out, but I'm sure these things vary from place-to-place and in different time periods.
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Well they are considered to be a part of the "first ones here club" I think it probably has more to do with politics. If I'm remembering correctly, there's a... *waves hands* Assembly of the First Nations (I totally had to google the name of that), and it's the Assembly that represents the groups as a whole to the government (although individual bands will too) and maybe the Inuit and Innu feel that they weren't being represented as they choose, so aren't apart of the Assembly of First Nations, so don't fall under the heading. But I'm going off of suppositions and shaky memories here, so I could be totally wrong.
It seems really high. I know that 25% of my high school cohort certainly didn't drop out, but I'm sure these things vary from place-to-place and in different time periods.
Yeah, it must be a Toronto statistic, because I know 25% of my high school didn't drop out either.
Although, I know the community where my best friend grew up had a ton of drop outs, so maybe it's a provincial average. *shrugs*