Black leaders to come out against proposed Afrocentric school

[Atlas]

Black leaders to come out against proposed Afrocentric school
Posted: January 28, 2008, 11:59 PM by Barry Hertz
City

A coalition of black leaders will come out against Toronto’s proposed Afrocentric public school when school trustees meet tonight to vote on the scheme. Pastor Audley James, the driving force behind the coalition, said the Afrocentric school idea is “designed to marginalize our children.”


The Post's Natalie Alcoba reports:
In an interview, Mr. James, who ministers at North York’s Revivaltime Tabernacle, said not enough work has been done to reach out to church leaders, who have significant influence in the black community, or to seek the input of black teachers.


Afrocentric school proponents have said repeatedly that black students who feel misunderstood in the public system urgently need such a school to help them succeed.


According to the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), about 40% of black students do not graduate from high school. But Mr. James contends the proposal is “immature.”


“I don’t think parents in general are fully cognizant of all the implications,” he said, adding he is worried about the risks of “isolating” black youth within a school that he believes will surely be underfunded.


The group is represented by prominent lawyer Courtney Betty, who is on a list of people slated to make deputations to the trustees tonight.


“Truly, I understand the frustration of the community in trying to see something happen after waiting for 25 years,” Mr. Betty said yesterday. “But if we take the approach that is being suggested, the community is selling itself short.”


Furthermore, he said, the TDSB would be setting the school up for failure if it approved the proposal, because he has yet to see how the already cash-strapped board will be able to properly fund the initiative.


Mr. James pointed to the experience of a “dilapidated” school set up for aboriginal students that, according to the schools safety report released this month, suspends a third of its students and last year could not meet provincial standards in Grade 3 for reading, writing or arithmetic.


“I do not think that this is what is wanted for the black community,” Mr. James said. 


At a public meeting held to gauge public interest, voices raised were overwhelmingly in favour of testing out an Afrocentric school, because they said the current system is not working for a disproportionate number of underachieving black youth.


A recent student census also revealed that half of TDSB students believed that learning about their own culture would help them do better in school.


“It’s about an even playing field for all our children and people who spin this as segregation, I think it is quite cruel,” Angela Wilson, one of two women who have pushed the motion to the fore, said last week.


Her co-organizer, Donna Harrow, expressed optimism that their perseverance appeared to be paying off, when she learned that a staff report recommended that the school board open an Afrocentric alternative school.


The report suggested opening the school in September, 2009, one year later than what advocates had hoped. The TDSB insists that if approved, an Afrocentric school would be open to all students, not just blacks.


A board meeting in November had to be adjourned when Afrocentric school advocates in the crowd got upset that the proposal was not on the agenda. Given that scene, TDSB security guards, who are not usually present at board meetings, will be on hand tonight.


“We don’t want to have another meeting disrupted. We have a job to do,” said board chairman John Campbell.


“This is an issue that has been passionate and important,” said trustee Josh Matlow. “I expect we will experience that passion in the room.”


Trustees will have an opportunity to ask questions after hearing from the 18 or so deputations. Mr. Campbell estimated that about 60% of those scheduled to speak are in favour of the motion, while the remaining are against. “A lot of people have indicated their opposition via e-mail, but those in favour wish to speak at the meeting,” Mr. Campbell said.


Also up for consideration is an alternate proposal, put forward by Mr. Matlow, that calls for “the equalization and expansion, where appropriate, of African and black studies and other world culture curriculum course offerings” in all schools.

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/toronto/archive/2008/01/28/black-leaders-to-come-out-against-proposed-afrocentric-school.aspx

[Chris_]

In the USA this would be applauded by the Left and any attempt to speak out against it (think Bill Cosby) would be shouted down by the Racists whites and Race Pimps blacks whose livelihood depends on keepin' them nigras on the Plantation.

There is already a school in the L.A. area that teaches in Mayan and calls for the violent overthrow of the US Government to retake Aztlan -- and it is a publicly-funded school.

[jtyangel]

In the USA this would be applauded by the Left and any attempt to speak out against it (think Bill Cosby) would be shouted down by the Racists whites and Race Pimps blacks whose livelihood depends on keepin' them nigras on the Plantation.

There is already a school in the L.A. area that teaches in Mayan and calls for the violent overthrow of the US Government to retake Aztlan -- and it is a publicly-funded school.

There is one in this area as well. People who support this can spin it any way they choose, but it still boils down to segregation, pure and simple. I have no problem with a racial focus like this on the private dime, but I find it abhorent that it is supported by government funds.


http://www.columbus.k12.oh.us/cas/

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

If you send a black child to an all-black school on a scholarship just for blacks as a way of overcoming decades of segregation you might be a liberal.