The number of black kids that take GCSE and A Levelsand cross over to university are low/poor....why?

As a parent would you like to see your child go to university or it doesnt matter to you?

Does the family fabric have a strong effect on a child's intelligence and aptitude in relation tosupport, discipline, unity?

Are there any initiatives out there that have proven successes?

i think one of the biggest factors why black childrenare failing is peer pressure. You can have all the resources possible and the most brilliant teachers, but if children don't want to learn or think its not cool, theres no point.

I think this explains why a lot f black children are actually advanced at primary school level and then regress.

i also believe, children who come from homes where education is valuedand \parents have high expectations of them,stand a better chance.

I recently just fininshed my A Level Sociology coursework, exploring why African boys are educationallyunderachieving in schools, paticularly at secondary level.When i asked all the boys i interviewed, what is the biggest barrier to their learning in school? and why do African boyseducationally underachievein their opinions?A large majority of the boysall said peer pressure, was the biggest barrier to their learning.Some of the boysexpressed a degree of sadnessas they were so influenced by their friends, theyfound it hard to combat it, and concentrate on their studies, which was very important to themselves and their families.In addition, the distractions of looking good (materialism), and the things that came with that, such as a reputation andgirls ect equally acted as barriers to their learning.

This seemed to the main reason, along withteacher racism, in which many of the boys felt that the teachersdidn't care if they failed or succeeded, and labled them as people who weren't concerned with their education,especially the boys that were popular. I thought these responses were really interesting because itshowed me howhard it was for alot of these boys, and indeed many others to combat peer pressure, as the viewsand actions of their peers greatly influenced their educationalachievement.

It is however important torealise that there are some Africanboys who are not influencedby peer pressure, and affected by teacher racism anddo very well. i guess it depends on how strong the individual is, how comfortable he is in himself to be his own person, and how committed he is to his long term goals that he would like to meet despite the distractions, influences and challenges he may face. I think good parenting and a strong sense of self, can develop these chracteristics which many of our young men lack.

Look forward to hearing other views on this issue.

Parents put too much trust in the educational system....they think that they just have to send child to school and teacher does the rest....



recipe for disaster....





if you understand the situation you are in...you'd BETTER take an ACTIVE role in your child's education....

I have 3 daughters. All go to a very good school. First daughter passed 10 GCSE`s A-C. 2nd daughter decides she no longer wants to be a "geek" and gets in with the wrong crowd. No matter what I said, took off her, threatened, grounded she gave half hearted attempt at GCSE. She came out with 3 A-C. 3rd daughter doing very well and happy to be a "geek".Peer presusre does pay a big part in what they achieve. My daughters that did well or is doing well are friends with those that want to learn and get on but my middle daughter chose the opposite. She is now doing 5 more GCSE`s at college because 3 won`t get her anywhere.

It may be that you are new to Britain. The "crisis" has been going on for 50 years.

Try here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...19/ixhome.html

http://education.guardian.co.uk/raci...402532,00.html

Racism isn`t always the reason. My daughter just plain wasn`t interested.

I think good parenting and a strong sense of self, can develop these chracteristics which many of our young men lack.



I agree conscious sistah....These are controllable factors which we can enhance...The others, teachers, peers are issues which are less so but can still be influenced

I agree with everything you've said peacemaker.

I would add that cognitive abilities of the child combined with good parenting (involvment in homework, sports, managing money, support,trips to library with yourchild,nurturing your child'squests for answers,e.t.c)sets a child up with better chance to succeed through his or her education(and ultimately life)than a child left to learn on it's own vices.

Scientist would tell you that the child creates its own neuro-networks in the brain which get activated every time it recieves stimulation from the environment. And if these events are negative (e.g. peer pressures (of a bad kind) from friends like conscious sistah correctly highlighted) then the child is conditioned to think in self defeating ways. So the role of good parenting is to prevent these weeds (neuro-networks) from taking over the childs mind or being uprooted. If the child has been taught good values, not just being told, but shown and applied, then power and superiority in thinking has the potential to allow this child to succed.

The absence of a black intelligensia is constantly robbing us of our abilities to thrive in the society which we have made home. Whilst I don't deny 80% of blacks probably fall within the working class bracket, I FIRMLY BELIEVE 80% of blacks in this country have the tools to elevate beyond the socio-conditioned definitons. The media, schools throw out subliminal messages to the black populace with the sole intention of keeping 'us' within the racially inept group. So when a black child sees information in the papers, news, radio, internet that says he can't the child 'relegates him/her self to an inferior, stigmatized, humliated and powerless group' unconsiously based primarily on the color of the skin. So it is up to us to form an intelligent body of groups, take pride in our cultures, celebrate and encourage our children 'yours and mine'.

Some parents have no choice but to work long hours to pay the bills and get homelate whentheir child is inbed. It's very difficult to be involved with the child's education. Others are uninvolved by ignorance- as long as the child is fed and goes to school, that's enough. So to a degree your social status does influence the outcome, but middle and upper class parents do work longer hours too. The key is making whatever time you have for your child. Don't let the system take care of your child or he/she might end up in prison.

A child born into a home not conducive to learning is at a disadvantage. Most working class homes do not provide the visual and verbal stimulation that the middle and upper class have. So a child trapped within the working class bubble is preconditioned to exist within it's own matrix.

In the end what what I am talking about here is potentiallity. Nothing is 100% guranteed.99.9% of what the media put out, even science, gains acceptance without any basis in facts.

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CA95616wrote:I think this explains why a lot f black children are actually advanced at primary school level and then regress.

That's where the parents influence starts to drop off, and society starts to kick in.

That's where the parent has planted the seeds of self belief, self esteem and society, the metaphorical wind tries to uproot their works. But anything that handles a resistance only grows with strength, but you need the right foundation

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camlo2k wrote:

My thoughts are that individual character plays the largest role in a childs attitude toward education. Some of this character in natural to some children but most must be taught or trained into them. In the absence of this training, most children fail to develop the character required to be good students.

It is unfortunate, but the failure of our black families is the primary cause of this failure to develope the character required to be good students and good citizens in general. Alternative family situations such as single parent homes, disfunctional family situations and other non-traditional setting generally fail to provide the nurishment needed to develop a healthy attitude toward a solid education. I must add that this is not always the case and that good students can come from any situation. Additionally, our people who find themselves in those alternative family situation often do excellent jobs of providing the nourishment needed to excel. The one post above that indicated that she had three daughters and the middle one did not have an interest is one demonstration that in the best of situations, some children simply do not accept the character teachings they are presented. But generally speaking, I direct the blame for the vast majority of our failing students upon our failing families.

Additionally, I do believe that our students fail because of the peer pressure mentioned in the posts above. I have not seen it said in this thread, but I believe that the pressure spoken of is that to excel in studies is equated to an attempt to "act white". Although, I acknowledge this issue as one of the serious hinderances to our acheivement, I certainly hold our families far more accountable. I believe that a home with one "Daddy" and one "Momma" that are well adjusted and nourturing can help develop in a child the character required to overcome this type of peer pressure.

The next possible cause mentioned is racism. My thoughts...This and $1 will get you a cup of coffee....are that although racism exist, I don't think it would play as big a role in a well adjusted child. Here is what I mean......I grew up in the "Deep South". I had mostly white teachers and a handful of black ones. Our clases were integrated with about 40% black and about 60% white. Many of my teachers showed signs of subtle racism..(I never experienced blatant racism from a teacher...most were more professional than that) It never affected me because I was of the opinion that I am sitting in a class with whites that are no smarter than me. If they are sitting under the exact same teaching that I am then I should be able to retain as much as they do. This mentallity has taken me far in life. At this point, I can function in any environment with whites and never feel intemidated or threatened.

My main point is that a solid family structure is the key to our educational under achievements. If we direct our focus on rebuilding families, fixing broken homes, Daddy's stepping up to the plate, being men and accepting their God given responsibilities to be the leader of their homes, all of these peripherial issues will fall into place.Guaranteed! As a black man, I am trying to do my part.