Some black boys may have to be separated from classmates to help improve their school performance, the head of the Commission for Racial Equality has suggested.
Trevor Phillips said lack of self-esteem and positive role models for black boys adds to the problem, as well as an attitude that being clever is not cool.
He added that black fathers not living with their sons should be denied access if they didn’t go to parents evenings.
But Martin Ward of the Secondary Heads Association warned that, “to single out black children for special treatment could be counter-productive and even illegal.” "
I think its helpful to note that the terms segregate and separate are usually not synonymous. Segregation is almost always someone else’s idea to force people apart, backed by law, authority and the threat/use of coercive force. It’s appropiate in prisons but not generally a good idea in a free society. Separation is voluntarily. If people want to live apart, why not?
This sounds like a little of both. I’ve doubts it’ll work as well as they hope.
I concur with this sentiment, no group of children should ever be separated merely on the grounds of their race, should a white girl we underperforming she should be separated and aided as much as any black boy, not less so and not more so.
In UK schools, boys are doing worse than girls. Perhaps we should go back to the original seperate schools? Or perhaps the courses are too female-oriented? Facts and figures tend to advantage boys; feelings and discourse girls. And, of course, females mature earlier.
Perhaps we should have seperate courses for boys and girls?
I don’t know. I do know that the current situation isn’t right.
Speaking as an American, I think there are contexts where youth of a certain race or gender will do much better if taught by their own race/gender.
There are parts of my country where, to counter pernicious cultural attitudes that see the dominant culture as white or effeminate, where black boys really do need to be taught separately, & by black men. And it isn’t happening nearly enough. Schoolteaching is still regarded as the job of (white) women.
Since this is a situation with black boys are being taught seperately in what I assume is a co-ed school, I am not as concerned. Had all black boys been taught seperately in an all-boys school, then I would be opposed.
I definitely think Black Boys should be taught separately and choreographed completely differently, so that when the white girl group merges with the Supremes-like group at the end of White Boys the contrast will be all the more major.
Cite for this?
At least within the educational community? I’m currently getting my masters in education, and all I’ve heard is that diversity is important. Nobody’s conceptualized of it as a white job, or a woman’s job.
The educational community has available to it those from the broader society who aspire to a career in education. And it does, for cultural reasons, skew a bit toward female. As for attitudes in hiring, it depends on the school district.
But you’re right, I’m grossly generalizing, & it is changing.
