[Kennedy]

The Issue

In 2002 the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, in association with Diane Abbot MP organise the first London wide conference to focus on the continuing inequalities in educational attainment experienced by children of African and Caribbean heritage in our schools. In 2003, a second conference, offered solutions. These two conferences were hugely successful, with nearly 4,000 delegates attending and attracting national publicity. London Schools and the Black Child has quickly become established as one of the leading educational conference in Britain.

Differential educational outcomes for African and Caribbean heritage children in London matter.They matter not just for the individuals and their families who will suffer the demoralising and harmful consequences of educational under-achievement, but also for the future social and economic well-being of London as a whole. This is dependent on utilising the abilities of all its diverse communities, the same communities that represent London's strength.

This year's conference will report on achievements in this issue and ensure this issue stays on the agenda. It will alsooffer theopportunity to celebrate the achievement of those working in education to address this catastrophe and seek to inspire others to make their own personal contribution.

The Programme

The conference will be opened by the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone. Speakers will include Diane Abbott MP; Department for Education and Skills Minister Stephen Twigg MP; Trevor Phillips, Chair of the Comission for Racial Equality, and special guest speakers from education and the media.

Seminar Themes

Seminar subjects are expect to include:

• Parents Part 1: The Greater London Black Parents and Governors Network
• Parents Part 11: What can parents do?
• Black Teachers - Recruitment, Retention and Support
• Black Boys: The London Development Agency Education Commission
• School Leadership
• BlackAchievers: Achieving Excellence through education
• DfES - Aiming high and the London Challenge: The government's response
• Solutions: Britain
• Solutions: The international dimension
• Supplementary schools

Saturday 11 September 2004, 9am - 5.30pm

FREE ENTRY

Queen Elizabeth 11 Conference Centre

London SW1

If you would like further information call:

Tel: 020 7219 4426

Fax: 020 7219 4964

Closing date for registration is Fri 3 Sept 2004


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[Saida.M]

Kennedy wrote:

The Issue

In 2002 the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, in association with Diane Abbot MP organise the first London wide conference to focus on the continuing inequalities in educational attainment experienced by children of African and Caribbean heritage in our schools. In 2003, a second conference, offered solutions. These two conferences were hugely successful, with nearly 4,000 delegates attending and attracting national publicity. London Schools and the Black Child has quickly become established as one of the leading educational conference in Britain.

When will people get it through their heads, the problems lie not with us but the racist system that's so embedded within the fabric of society - to coin a well used phrase. When are people going to ask - WHAT CAN THE WHITE PEOPLE DO ABOUT THEIR RACISM TO STOP THE ETERNAL DAMAGING DOMINO EFFECT OF IT AFFECTING ALL OF OUR PEOPLE AND THEMSELVES?

[align=left]How hard is it to LOVE another human being?[/align]

[Kunjufu]

Against my better judgement I would give this forum the benefit of the doubt to see what comes out of it..However considering the following people are at the forefront of this event my hopes are NOT high:

• Ken (Johnny come lately) Livingston.
• Ms Diane (judas) Abbott.
• Mr Trevor(two faced) Phillips
• Steven (tainted by the labour party) Twigg.

I mean the question has to be seriously asked what has Ken done for the Black council tax payers of London recently, and before anyone mentions the 'Respect' concert. Let me say now that having a jamboree on an annual basis is not my idea of progress.

Surely Diane Abbott given the massive betrayal of the her electorate and her own principles is a busted flush, who now in their right mind would take her seriously anymore on ANY issue. She should and must be voted out of office at the earliest opportunity.

Trevor Phillips, Mr St George himself, what has his contribution been to the people he is 'supposed to represent? Frequenting right wing radion stations to collude with their verbal assualt on our people, the bigging up of 'english' traditions or the selective (extremely selective) way he chooses what black issues he becomes involved with. Case in point recently we watched on BBc tv the Police officers standing over a man as he died before them, whare was his support of the family, where was his response to that issue?

Steven Twigg given the fact that this person is part of a goverment whonot only promote but has instituted some of the most racist and oppressiveinsitutional laws and and practises and are consistent liarsto boot, why in gods name would I believe a word the man said at this or any other event.

Sorrybut I think those who do attend need to be pressing formore concentre action andnot get sucked into this annualeventthat appears to be nothing more than atalking shop aimed at keeping us quiet with promises and nothing else..

[Sista Africa]

I attended this conference last year and have mixed feelings about it. On the one hand it was a great place to meet up with concerned members of our community including many faces from the past and there was undoubtedly a certain 'electrical charge' in the air with so many people of African descent occupying the same space, the majoritywith genuine concerns about the (mis)education of our children and a genuine desire to do something butthere it seems to have ended.

Loads and loads of reasons put forward about why our children are being (mis)educated and excluded, fewer solutions and even less action it seems judging by the little I have seen and heard since the conference

It would be good if we started a pre-conference debate on this important issue in the forum putting forward solutions and not just explanations about what is happening to our children.

[Backatya]

I don't know about this particular conference, but I have attended other committies/conferences/policy groups whatever you want to call them where the said Ms Abbot was lead person or prominent member, and have never been impressed.

I am sorry, maybe it's just my prejudice, but anything involving that woman I consider to be no more than a gathering for 'full-of-hot-air' enthusiasts, with most of it coming from Ms Abbot herself.

Words could not describe the low opinion I have of that woman (not to mention others from the Labour 'Black Caucus'), and believe me it is hard for me to say that of any sister, no matter how far her views may be removed from mine.

I would need to see something tangible to come from anything she is involved in, especially anything purporting to be of benefit to the black community, to counter my immediate response of rolling my eyes up. She is a talking shop.....and nothing else as far as I am concerned.

Lots of talking usually followed by lots of INACTION!

Respect

[Camuselle]

Hmmm I have to say I share some of your jaded sentiments. Those conferences have been going on for some years now, having originallystarted out in Abbott's constituency of Hackney before they became so heavily politicised and glossy. Frankly, while I am prepared to attend just to remain abreast of the latest nonsense I would rather see some concrete action than political rhetoric. The action needs to be 2 way from those up there (government) and from us on the grassroots level being affected. I would like to see 2 things happening:

1 The concerned 'we' sit down with a 10 point well-inforned list of issues that we would like to see the government address. And, rather than sit in QEII hall bathing in conference euphoria and returning to our homes while the problem of lower achievement of our Black children, high exclusion rates continue, take that list and march - all 2000 attendees - on Downing street to demand those issues are taken up.

2 While yes it is all very lovely and touchy feely to sit there year after year talking with one another and sharing our problems. What? The problem of lower Black achievement has been going on since the 50s - wegonna keep talking forever?I would personally like to see every person at that conference (I am aware some are already involved) get out there and become much more aware of what is happening in their local (child's) school. Become a school governor (apply through your LEA), learn about how the system works so each of us is in a position to tackle it. For example, the governing board are in a position to handle the recruitment of staff (that many of us might feel is one of the issuescausing'underachievement').Lets put ourselves in a position to affect that. If you don't have time for that speak to the headteacher to see if and where you can help out - no school is gonna refuse a spare free set of hands!

A very concerned sister!

[theGreyman]

Who went ?

Some feedback please.

[COLTRANE]

yeah these are the news:

blaming game as usual...

Gangsta culture a deadly virus, says top TV presenter

Martin Bright, home affairs editor
Sunday September 12, 2004
The Observer

One of the best known black personalities on British TV said yesterday that 'gangsta' street culture was a 'deadly virus' that was destroying a generation of African-Caribbean boys.

BBC sports presenter and former Tottenham Hotspur striker Garth Crooks said there was a direct link between films and rap music glorifying violence and the drift of black boys away from education and into crime and violence.
'There is an epidemic out there, and it is killing some of our children. Do you think there could be a correlation between this and the growing dissipation of our cultural values?' he said.
Crooks's passionate plea to the black community to tackle the issue of gangsta street culture was delivered to 2,000 delegates attending the third London Schools and the Black Child conference to discuss the increasing crisis of black children's underperformance in the education system. Addressing himself directly to young black men, Crooks said: 'As for the youngsters in our community who think they are gangsters; grow up. You are pathetic. You are not gangsters or clever. You are kids and it's time to impose zero tolerance.'
He continued: 'Street culture will become a deadly virus ripping indiscriminately through our next gen eration, robbing millions of their potential.'
Crooks said his strict Jamaican parents had instilled in him a respect for decent family values. 'In my day it was only the rude white boys who did not go to school. We were too afraid.'
His words were echoed by outspoken Labour MP Diane Abbott and Trevor Phillips, chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality. Abbott, who has organised the conference for the past three years, told The Observer : 'It is important to understand just how seriously we are taking this problem. Two thousand people turned out for this event on a Saturday morning.

We are talking about a lost generation.'
Phillips told the gathering of parents, teachers and educationalists: 'Our girls and especially boys face exclusion, denigration; they face failure, they face destruction.
'For every boy from our community at a university campus today, there are two in jail. That is the measure of the crisis we face.'
Phillips also argued that the Commission for Racial Equality should survive as a separate anti-racist body. He said government plans to merge it with bodies responsible for gender and disability rights were misguided.
Phillips and Crooks both defended Abbott's decision to take her son out of the state system and send him to the exclusive City of London boys' school.
Phillips invoked the words of black civil rights leader Malcolm X by saying black parents had to fight for the survival of their children 'by any means necessary'.
An opinion poll conducted by Mori for the Greater London Authority found that 55 per cent of Londoners believe the teaching profession should reflect the city's ethnic diversity, while 29 per cent disagreed.
Last year the proportion of black teachers in London was 2.9 per cent. The latest figures for school pupils show that 19.5 per cent are black. The proportion of all non-white pupils in London was 43.5 per cent, while ethnic minority teachers made up 7.4 per cent.
A report commissioned by the London Development Agency to tie in with the conference reported that 70 per cent of African-Caribbean pupils left school with fewer than five high-grade GCSEs.
The report concluded that low teacher expectations played a major part in the underachievement of black children and that black pupils found they were encouraged by black teachers.

[COLTRANE]

My smart school still failed me
Zoe Smith went to school in a leafy Home Counties town. As figures show black children being let down by the system, she reveals the reality of education when your face doesn't fit
Zoe Smith
Sunday September 12, 2004

The Observer
Why square blocks wouldn't fit in round holes and why I could never manage to colour inside the black lines were just some of the many conundrums that puzzled me when I was at primary school. But the one thing that took me many years to figure out was the puzzle of the 'Black Book'.
The 'Black Book' was an object of which my fellow seven-year-old classmates and I lived in total fear. It contained the names of all the naughty children who would be punished. But what I could never understand was why my teacher called this bright orange book 'black'. What confused me even more was that, when I innocently put this question to my teacher, he said I was a troublemaker, just like my mother.
'Racism, it seems, is going out of fashion,' wrote Tony Sewell, director of the Hackney Learning Trust, earlier this year. He argued that black people needed to snap out of their 'culture of victimhood' and stop perceiving racism as a bar to black advancement.
But when I read the report published last week by the London Development Agency's Education Commission, highlighting the way the education system had failed black pupils, I found little evidence to support Sewell's view. The report focused on the discrimination faced by black boys in inner-city schools. However, from my experience, even when money, a stable background and encouraging parents are in place, black children still suffer as a result of low teacher expectations and negative stereotyping.
It wasn't exactly racism. No one called me '******'. But I can't remember anything we did about black history. The only black people we came across were in English Literature and they were slaves. No one taught me about Marcus Garvey. No one said 'you'll do great things'.
I don't come from a disadvantaged background. Nor do I fit any of the other stereotypes that commentators cite as the reasons for black children underperforming. I was privately educated from three to 10 and my secondary education was at a grammar school that regularly tops the league tables. The school, in a leafy Home Counties suburb, was far from underfunded yet, six years after leaving school, my experience leads me to conclude that I have achieved what I have in spite, not because, of my education.
My parents were keen to take an active role in my education. But in the Eighties mentioning phrases such as 'positive racial identity' and the 'self-confidence of black children' was not welcomed by the staff at my primary school.
My mother soon earned a reputation as being 'difficult'. Talking with my parents now, we laugh about my early experiences. When it came to school plays, Nativity or otherwise, black children were either donkeys or devils. When my sister, who went to the school four years later, got to play a wise man in the Christmas play, it was considered ground-breaking by black parents at the school.
At secondary school I remember being made to stand in front of my English Literature class while an irate teacher shouted: 'Who do you think you are? You'll never amount to anything!' Those were pretty harsh words for a 13-year-old whose only crime was to forget her dictionary. I loathed school. Admittedly I wasn't the ideal student. I didn't always hand in my homework on time and wasn't always interested in what was going on in lessons but, even when I tried, it seemed to me as if I achieved little support.
At 13, I was preparing to sit exams that would be used to decide which set I would be in for my GCSEs. I was predicted a very low grade for maths. My father, a former maths lecturer, was convinced that I could do much better and subjected me to hours of extra tuition after school.
While all my white friends were living it up at the local under-18s disco, I was stuck at home having my cranium stuffed full of algebra, statistics and trigonometry. No matter how much I cried or protested, my father always made me spend at least an hour with him as soon as he got home from work. When I received my results, my maths teacher told me I had got the highest mark possible. Yet she looked at me as if I had cheated.
When I was 14, my headmistress recommended to my parents that I repeat the year. Since primary school, I had been a year ahead, but my teachers at my secondary school seemed to think this was a mistake. They believed I wouldn't achieve five GCSE passes. The option of encouraging me to work harder or giving me extra help was never offered. Instead that role fell to my parents, who were adamant that I was more than capable of passing my exams without repeating the year.
With extra tuition from my father and family friends who were teachers, I achieved 10 GCSE passes all grade A* to C. While I was pleased to have done well, what gave me the greatest satisfaction was proving my teachers wrong.
Last week I contacted my headmistress for her views on how a mainly white grammar school approaches the issue of race. I remembered her as a small South African, who took great pride in maintaining the reputation of her school. Her no-nonsense approach used to put the fear of God into me. I had recently started to think of myself as an adult, but when I heard her voice for the first time in six years I felt slightly ill, like a small child with nerves.
Initially she suggested that maybe I had approached the wrong school. 'We don't have many black girls here,' she said. I told her that I had not forgotten. Of more than 1,000 pupils during my time, no more than 12 were black. She questioned what I meant by 'black'. 'I hate labels,' she said, adding that she saw no point in political correctness. 'As you will know, Zoe, politics, race and religion have no bearing on the way we treat our girls,' she said.
I disagreed with her, and I suggested that it might have been useful to have strategies in place for dealing with children from different backgrounds. She insisted that the school celebrated the diversity of all its pupils' backgrounds.
That sounded markedly different from my experience. I told her that I didn't remember any instances of Afro-Caribbean culture being celebrated, let alone mentioned. 'Well, there were only three of you in your year,' she said.
But is this a valid excuse? Research into mainly white schools published by the Department for Education in 2002 found that diversity within the minority ethnic population must be recognised and respected. 'One size fits all' approaches create additional problems for minority ethnic pupils and their parents.
The general lesson I learnt from my school years was that people's expectation of me were going to be zero and that I would have to prove myself and dispel their stereotyped views. I don't resent that, but I still feel almost as if I'm required to over-achieve so that my race is never a barrier to me. Without the encouragement of my parents and their positive example of success, I don't think I would have bothered to sit my A levels or go to university.
All my anecdotal evidence shows that parents who take an active interest in their children's education do much better. 'We need to educate a significant number of black parents, not just children,' says my father. 'Parents who think that it is the schools' responsibility to educate their children find that their children do not perform as well as if they worked alongside the school taking an active interest in their child's education.'
Race is a problem in education as much as it is in any other part of life. Unfortunately, because school is an environment where children are subjected to the power of adults, the impact of any prejudice is much more intense.
But if black parents want their children's performance to improve, they must take an active interest in their children's education. Greater parental involvement is the only way that the trend can be reduced. The more you invest in a child, the greater the returns.
Hard lessons
· September 1996: School inspectorate Ofsted found that black boys were locked into a cycle of failure, while being four times more likely to be excluded from school.
· March 1999: A second Ofsted survey found that African-Caribbeans were often the lowest-performing group in GCSE exams. It blamed low expectations and prejudice among teachers for their poor achievement.
· August 2000: Tony Sewell, a black academic from Leeds University, provoked a storm of criticism from within the black community for suggesting that black youth culture was to blame for low educational attainment among African-Caribbean boys. He was accused of blaming the victim.
· October 2003: Controversial black left-wing MP Diane Abbott sparked claims of hypocrisy when she announced she was sending her son to a private secondary school. She described her own decision as 'indefensible'.
· September 2004: A report commissioned by the London Development Agency found that the English system is seen by the black community to have failed its children for 50 years. School data from 2000-02 showed African-Caribbean boys were consistently the lowest performing ethnic group group in primary and secondary school.

[Kunjufu]

Phillips and Crooks both defended Abbott's decision to take her son out of the state system and send him to the exclusive City of London boys' school.
Phillips invoked the words of black civil rights leader Malcolm X by saying black parents had to fight for the survival of their children 'by any means necessary'.

Coltrane: Thank you for highlighting this section, because I really thought that this was revealing...Ms abbot is obvious a liar, because the reason we were originally given for her decision was because of the lack of 'good' schools in the area.. Now as i originally suspected this was not her motive at all..

She obviously did NOT want her child to be schooled locally just in case he was 'infected' with this virus Garth Crooks spoke of...Now whilst I can understand to a point her reasoning.. I think this is a contradiction, he was voted in my the Hackney people to RESPRESENT them, but the subtext to her actions appear to be that the good people of Hackney that voted for her and kept her in office, are NOT good enough for son to be around hmmmm/

Personally I think Diane Abbot ought to be voted out of office at the next election and if there is any justice that is what will happen!!!