from todays guardian:why do they say black boys and then inside its afro-carribean ? what are they trying to hide?

Hugh Muir and Rebecca Smithers
Tuesday September 7, 2004


The Guardian

Black schoolboys have been betrayed by the education authorities for almost half a century and are struggling to overcome racism from many of their own teachers, according to a damning new report out today.

Members of an influential education commission say the failure of the schools system and individuals within it to successfully engage with students of African-Caribbean origin has severely hindered them and contributed to massive underachievement.
Last year 70% of African-Caribbean boys in London left school with fewer than five or more GCSE's at the top grades of A*-C or equivalent, while African-Caribbean men are the least likely of any group to have a degree.
During the research, which was commissioned by the London mayor, Ken Livingstone, and conducted over the past year, black boys complained of racism and stereotyping from teachers. They said chances of success were also limited by an archaic curriculum.
Their parents told researchers they felt schools did not welcome their input. Black teachers spoke of discrimination. Only 7.4% of London's teachers are from ethnic minorities and 2.9% are black.
The 285-page report, which represents the most exhaustive study to date of the educational underachievement of black boys, concludes that: "The English schooling system has produced dismal academic results for a high percentage of black pupils for the best part of 50 years."
Mr Livingstone, who has called for action to ensure that the number of ethnic minority teachers in the capital rises to least 33%, said: "The composition of the teaching staff, governors and other professionals dealing with the education of our children must change dramatically to fully reflect the diversity of London's children."
His officials have organised the London Schools and the Black Child conference to be addressed by schools minister Stephen Twigg on Saturday.
In the study, conducted under the direction of the mayor's London Development Agency and an advisory board led by Diane Abbott MP, focus groups reached a wide degree of agreement: "The consensus was that low teacher expectations played a major part in the underachievement of African-Caribbean pupils. In addition inadequate levels of positive teacher attention, unfair behaviour management practices, disproportionately high levels of exclusions and an inappropriate curriculum took their toll."
Pupils were acknowledged to suffer from negative peer pressure and many are said to be disadvantaged by inadequately funded schools with a high turnover of teachers. The insufficient level of involvement by some black parents is also singled out.
The commission also heard evidence of direct discrimination. "Racism manifested itself most harshly in being over looked for answering questions, verbal aggression from teachers and harsher reprimands than for students from other ethnic groups for the same misdemeanour." The report says that relationships between black pupils and white teachers was generally characterised by "conflict and fear".
One participant complained: "When it is white boys, it is a 'group' but when it is black boys it is a 'gang'. I think that's wrong."
The commission found that in 2002, black boys started to lag behind from primary school year two. The gap widened every year after that. It plays down the role of social backgrounds because working class boys from other communities outperformed middle class African-Caribbean boys.
In a series of recommendations, the commission calls for intervention on several levels. It urges ministers to give every parent three days a year paid leave so they can play a part in the schooling process. It also says black teachers should benefit from fast tracking and "golden handshakes".
The commission calls for urgent action to reduce the number of black pupils excluded. Controversially, it suggests that heads should not exclude pupils for a first serious offence unless the catalyst is an incident involving a knife or gun. It calls for clear procedures which would allow pupils to report racism by teachers. But they also call on black parents to play a more proactive role with their children and schools, "regardless of resistance".
Last year the government launched a new package - Aiming High - backed with £10m of extra funding to tackle the problem of African-Caribbean pupils' underachievement in both primary and secondary schools.
A spokeswoman for the Department for Education and Skills said: "We recognise that many pupils, particularly from African-Caribbean backgrounds are not achieving their full potential. That is why we are working with parents and community representatives to raise the achievement of minority ethnic pupils."
Steve Sinnott, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said: "It is grossly unfair to blame teachers alone for a phenomenon which is more complex than the report appears to make out."
· Rampton Revisited, The Educational Experiences and Achievements of Black Boys in London Schools, published by the LDA Education Commission

These kind of reports make me feel very

I suspect they conduct these reports to ease their lilly livered conscience's,they are never prepared to do whats right to help these issues. They talk and talk but where is the action?

As parents we know that potentially are boys can achieve great things given the support and oppotunity, I don't need no report to tell me there's something wrong with the school system, black leaders have been saying that for years!

My 7 year old son dos'nt want to be a footballer or a pop star, he wants to be an astronaut. The balls in my court, I'm pepared to do what ever I have to.

Don't get me wrong I aint saying it's easy because last year all I got was "He's so intelligent, but your son's behaviour is disrupting the class"

The fact is I'd rather leave England altogether than let them put him down as just another 'failing black boy' statistic.

msanni , why dont you repremand your son for his behaviour. If you heard it so many times , couldnt there be some truth to it. After all, as an intelligent boy the school would not be in any rush to get rid of him(n as i found myself when i had behaviour problemns)

As a people, we make too many concessions for behaviour. For example, at work all the black females( 4 of them) have an attitude problem, but thats ok, because black girls are naturallly assertive/aggreseive, or the other excuse, black woman have had to struggle so they have hardened attitude. NOPE!!

Its unacceptable whatever the excuse. So, you do whatever yu have to do to calm him down, and then you wont have to do anything drastic like leave the country

@CASHMONEY




Ah but here's the thing, he only plays up in school, and I'm being really serious. Not at church, not at music school, not even with his grandparents (and believe me they are old). At his afterschool club he even got a award for his GOOD behaviour. So your advice is not much good to me, but might be better directed towards the school itself.


As for your 4 black female work colleagues, are they any good at there jobs? if not why are they still there? Thankfully I've never needed to generalize my fellow black colleagues as I've always found them to be a varied bunch.

Very often schools aren't prepared to deal with intelligent children. There are far more things in place for children who are behind than for those who are ahead. They have to keep to the National Curriculum so if your child is a little ahead of the rest of the class he/she get's held back. Causing them to be bored out of their skull therefore leading to bad behaviour.

There also could be any other thing causing his/her bad behaviour.My advice, in 90% of case's (should be more but we all know there are exception's)the parent know's their child best. If you beleive something isn't quite right then get a hook onto it and don't give up until you get to the bottom of it.



@ cashmoney : they don't care if your child is intelligent or not, if they aren't a "robot" then they simply "don't fit in" and the sooner they can get them out the better for the rest of the "robots" sad as it is it's true

the report has not brought anything new. they need to stop reporting and start doing something about it. full stop.

by the way what has happened to teh all black school that was meant to be set up. i think that is the next best thing for us to do. it removes immediate racism. we need to move to teach our own. are staurday schools still going these days

sorry@ msanni, ( I seem to be apoligisng alot these days)

when you put it like that, there must be an issue in the school.

By the way, I currently work in supermarket and the girls in general, are good at the jobs, but they always cutting eye at customers, airing their frustrations( 'I'm not doing this refund on my till, ask someone else') and its just standard. I've talked to two of them about it but they just say thats thats how they stay

@ misunderstood, arent your kids white???

I'm sorry but intelligence does matter, all schools care about is that league table, thats why when I was throwing chairs at a class in secondary, I didnt even get suspended, I got told to go home and 'cool off'. Why, because I was one of the smart ones, and it was out of charcter