Black-focused school is a go.

About a month ago, the Toronto District School Board voted 11 to 9 in favour of opening an alternative Afrocentric school. Initially proposed as a solution to help improve the high drop-out rate among students of Afro-Caribbean origin, the alternative Afrocentric school has sparked great debate. On one side, “activists in the black community are saying that their kids are not actively engaged in the education [provided] for them. There’s no mentor there, there’s no encouragement.” The alternative school, it is argued, would create an environment “where they’ll be motivated to come to school everyday.” On the other side, individuals like Anthony Hutchinson, an economist and former university professor, have this to say: “This belief that if we teach kids about their social and cultural identity they’re going to perform a lot better is just stupid.” Rather, the high failure rate of students “would be more effectively addressed by smaller class sizes and more one-on-one tutoring”.

In light of the controversy surrounding the approval of what will be the country’s first black-focused school, Global News aired a two part special-report (February 28-29) that analysed the Afrocentric Malcolm X school in Detroit. Upon its opening, protesters tried to shut the school down. Today, its graduation success rate is almost double the city rate. It is interesting to note that parents who enroll their students in the school must sign a contract committing themselves to 30 hours of volunteer service in the school. The lack of parental involvement in inner city schools has been an issue in Toronto – perhaps their increased interest in their children’s education and their schools would motivate students and improve their success rates. Overall, Malcolm X alternative school in Detroit has proven to be successful and has taught us that it is important to educate the public about the school (and its initiatives).

Personally, I don’t know how I feel about the Afrocentric school in Toronto. While it risks being a contested, segregated space, it can also prove to be a place reflective of nationality, heritage and success. As a future educator, I am all for the success of students, but I am not sure that a black-focused school is the solution. While I understand that the high drop-out rate of black students is an issue - as a Canadian, I question what implications a black-focused school will have for people of other ethnicities. It is important to note here that a black-focused school is not a race-specific school, but rather one that would “aim to use the sources and knowledge and experiences of peoples of African descent as an integral feature of the teaching and learning environment.” What implications will this have on students after they graduate? And might it not raise the issue of incorporating other ethnic sources, knowledge and experiences in the curriculum? As of now, the location and specifics of the curriculum for the Afrocentric alternative school have yet to be decided. It will be interesting to see what kind of place/space this alternative school will turn out to be – especially with all of the controversy surrounding it already.

Sources:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7217212.stm
Global News @ 6:00 p.m. - February 29, 2008