Toronto School Board eyes "Afro-centric" school

g_bambino · November 7, 2007

Admitting it is failing some students of colour, the Toronto public board could open a black-focused school as early as next fall.
Two community meetings are planned in the next week to discuss the idea of an "African-centred alternative school" from junior kindergarten to Grade 8 that would have more black teachers, black mentors, more focus on students' heritage and more parent involvement.

Toronto Star

This subject was somewhat in the spotlight in Toronto a little while ago. I'm not sure if the topic was raised then, but it seems to have reared up again.

My initial - and almost automatic - response to these proposals is one of offence. It seems to me like a beautiful example of state-sanctioned multiculturalism gone madly awry. Really, what's it to be? Integrated cultural mosaic or selective ethno-racial ghettoization?

I can understand gender-specific schools; gender is inborn and there may be benefits to separating the two for purposes of education. But culture is as tonal as skin colour, and the two are not inseparably linked. Thus, a kid in Canada is a kid in Canada; regardless of their background or the shade of their epidermis, in school they should all learn equally the proper skills and cognitive thought processes on which to build the next phase of their education, not singled out as "special" or "different" because their mommy is from Jamaica or they were born in Vietnam. At home is where they should be learning their familial and cultural roots; it is the job of the parents to teach these things, not the crown.

Smallc · November 7, 2007

Toronto Star
This subject was somewhat in the spotlight in Toronto a little while ago. I'm not sure if the topic was raised then, but it seems to have reared up again.

My initial - and almost automatic - response to these proposals is one of offence. It seems to me like a beautiful example of state-sanctioned multiculturalism gone madly awry. Really, what's it to be? Integrated cultural mosaic or selective ethno-racial ghettoization?

I can understand gender-specific schools; gender is inborn and there may be benefits to separating the two for purposes of education. But culture is as tonal as skin colour, and the two are not inseparably linked. Thus, a kid in Canada is a kid in Canada; regardless of their background or the shade of their epidermis, in school they should all learn equally the proper skills and cognitive thought processes on which to build the next phase of their education, not singled out as "special" or "different" because their mommy is from Jamaica or they were born in Vietnam. At home is where they should be learning their familial and cultural roots; it is the job of the parents to teach these things, not the crown.

I agree. I heard about this on Adler Online today and I was outraged. This is segregation in the opposite directions.

Moxie · November 7, 2007

The same thing is being considered in Nova Scotia, I can only shake my head at the de-evolution of our society that we will consider having schools based on one's skin color. I wonder who will have to sit at the back of the public buses in the future, who am I kidding women of all skin colors.

M.Dancer · November 7, 2007

The same thing is being considered in Nova Scotia, I can only shake my head at the de-evolution of our society that we will consider having schools based on one's skin color. I wonder who will have to sit at the back of the public buses in the future, who am I kidding women of all skin colors.

The theory is the same as gender segregated schools.....but even in a school for young ladies there will be men teaching...whether they nallow honkies to educate is an unknown to me....the idea though is that there is a systemic racism that oppreses black students..so in theory blacks with blacks taught by blacks will allow them to rise.......

....my feeling is that there will be pressure to promote kids who aren't achieving and when they get into the mainstream post secondary and they are marked like everyone else, the howls of systemic racism will rise again.

Borg · November 7, 2007

Imagine a "Whites Only" school.

Howls of outrage.

Actually, if you follow the money trail I bet you find it leads directly back to a few opportunistic black leaders.

Interesting though - I figured you needed to be white to be a racist.

Follow the MONEY!!

Borg

Argus · November 7, 2007

Imagine a "Whites Only" school.
Howls of outrage.

Actually, if you follow the money trail I bet you find it leads directly back to a few opportunistic black leaders.

Interesting though - I figured you needed to be white to be a racist.

Follow the MONEY!!

Borg

The failure of Black kids to graduate - mainly Black boys rather than girls - has more to do with the culture and cultural values of that community than the type of education they get.

As for Black only schools. Have a look around the Jane Finch area of Toronto. I bet there's plenty of schools with almost no whites there, and I doubt they're havens of learning.

M.Dancer · November 7, 2007

As for Black only schools. Have a look around the Jane Finch area of Toronto. I bet there's plenty of schools with almost no whites there, and I doubt they're havens of learning.

You would lose your bet. Jane finch is hardly all black and probably less than 50% black..over 120 nationalities live there.

g_bambino · November 7, 2007

The same thing is being considered in Nova Scotia, I can only shake my head at the de-evolution of our society that we will consider having schools based on one's skin color. I wonder who will have to sit at the back of the public buses in the future, who am I kidding women of all skin colors.

True. What makes me wonder further is: what colour of skin is black enough to qualify?

mikedavid00 · November 7, 2007

Toronto Star
This subject was somewhat in the spotlight in Toronto a little while ago. I'm not sure if the topic was raised then, but it seems to have reared up again.

Yeah I'm hearing all about it on the CBC Ontario right now.

I have to say,

another 2 points for McGuinty saying this makes him feel personally 'uncomfortable' and he is apposed to it.

But I'll tell everyone now, if this passes, this opens the door up every race having their own school which will oficially make us the most racist country in the world.

All that's happenning are immigrants are trying to get into our power structure and establish a new power base.

They still have not done so.

We'll see how this turns out.

mikedavid00 · November 7, 2007

I agree. I heard about this on Adler Online today and I was outraged. This is segregation in the opposite directions.

That is the best radio show in Canada. Too bad I don't get AM reception and am forced to listen to the CBC all day at work.

Don't you see though.

There are organized, political racial groups using their racial status in an attempt to get their own power structure.

They are trying to take over hospitals, school systems, and court system.

You let that go long enough, and... well..

suprise suprise we're declaring marshal law and banning outside media. This is what happens when you let too much minority special interest in our power structure.

mikedavid00 · November 7, 2007

....my feeling is that there will be pressure to promote kids who aren't achieving and when they get into the mainstream post secondary and they are marked like everyone else, the howls of systemic racism will rise again.

It's not about the kids.

It's about groups of politically charged people who are trying to gain a powre structure of the public purse.

The people WANTING these institutions will be WORKING and HEADING these instatutions and collectin PAYCHECKS funded from you and I. They will be giving jobs to friends and relatives and then have their own union faction which gives them even more power.

Once they get their own political stucture, there is no turning back.

The serious problems begin when you give Pakistani's/South Asians their own power structure. You think the blacks will cause problems? You haven't seen anything yet.

Go live in a 3rd world country. Any of them. This is how poltics is done.

Don't compare their way of doing things with ours.

The only solution for all this to only have people come here as workers and then after 8 years they can apply for citizenship and become Canadian.

We can't continue to let the worlds trash into Canada IMO.

mikedavid00 · November 7, 2007

Actually, if you follow the money trail I bet you find it leads directly back to a few opportunistic black leaders.

Bingo!

It's also to give them more political sway so they can affect our legeslations and political outcomes in oder to benefit themselvs. It's the 3rd world way of doing things and we are ignorant to this as seen by the media responses to Musharraf's actions.

Smallc · November 7, 2007

That is the best radio show in Canada. Too bad I don't get AM reception and am forced to listen to the CBC all day at work.
Don't you see though.

There are organized, political racial groups using their racial status in an attempt to get their own power structure.

They are trying to take over hospitals, school systems, and court system.

You let that go long enough, and... well..

suprise suprise we're declaring marshal law and banning outside media. This is what happens when you let too much minority special interest in our power structure.

Go to CJOB.com or whatever your local station is and just listen live on the computer if you have one near you at work. Thats how I listen to it.

g_bambino · November 7, 2007

But I'll tell everyone now, if this passes, this opens the door up every race having their own school which will oficially make us the most racist country in the world.

I think it has the potential to be messier than that. The question I asked glibly before is actually a somewhat serious one: just how exactly does one officially define race and culture?

The belief that we can, along with sexual identity, is a remnant of the Victorian European mindset: all life can be scientifically divided and subjected into defined categories. Well, groups of people can have generally common traits, but the edges of that collection are hazy at best. So, really, where does the line between "black" and "not black" lie? If we can't find that line, then how can the enrolment of only blacks (or any other racial group) be enforced? The simple answer is: it can't; not without the creation of arbitrary lines by a select few in the position to do so. So, either our ethno-cultural identities are all defined and compartmentalised by law, or the whole notion of ethno-cultural specific institutions falls to pieces.

Edited November 7, 2007 by g_bambino

mikedavid00 · November 7, 2007

Go to CJOB.com or whatever your local station is and just listen live on the computer if you have one near you at work. Thats how I listen to it.

I would but they have an anti-streaming policy and I'm right outside the server admins office.

mikedavid00 · November 7, 2007

Either out ethno-cultural identities are all defined and compartmentalised by law, or the whole notion of ethno-cultural specific institutions falls to pieces.

Bingo.

Canada in 2007 and for the future should not be recognizing skin colours and cultures.

Smallc · November 7, 2007

I would but they have an anti-streaming policy and I'm right outside the server admins office.

well that sucks.

Moxie · November 7, 2007

True. What makes me wonder further is: what colour of skin is black enough to qualify?

LOL I have mixed ancestory, thus I can be deemed "Black" but I look exotic white. Would students like me (half breed) be allowed to attend or would our presense offend the "Racially Pure". Utter far left marxist poppycock.

Argus, you hit the nail on the head. It's partially a racial/cultural issue not soley an educational issue, the Globe and Rail had a feature editorial piece on single black women raising their children with no male influence in Toronto. They resided in mostly low income to getto communities. In brief these women lamented that the black males weren't interested in being fathers, their interest was soley how many children they could father. Apparently it's the new 'Thang" for gangsta wanna be young blacks. Hold the absent sperm donars/fathers legally accountable for their children, hunt them down and make them get employment that isn't illegal or gang related. These youths are victims of a cultural that has run amok long enough.

capricorn · November 8, 2007

I think it has the potential to be messier than that. The question I asked glibly before is actually a somewhat serious one: just how exactly does one officially define race and culture?

That's a good question. What about a mixed marriage between a black skinned person and a white skinned person. If the offspring is white skinned, the parents could claim their child is of the black culture and should be allowed to attend that school intended for black students. In this day and age, anything is possible.

capricorn · November 8, 2007

Follow the MONEY!!

Sometimes these initiatives are also pursued for fame.

Smallc · November 8, 2007

That's a good question. What about a mixed marriage between a black skinned person and a white skinned person. If the offspring is white skinned, the parents could claim their child is of the black culture and should be allowed to attend that school intended for black students. In this day and age, anything is possible.

In this day and age, this entire school idea is stupid.

M.Dancer · November 8, 2007

I still get a laugh from a conversation I was involved with between an Egyptian fellow and this rather attractive half black gal...

The gal considered herself black, the egyptian considered her gorgeous (true) so he was looking for an affinty with her....so she talking and stuff and prefaces a statement by saying,

..."As an african canadian women...."

The Egyptian fellow finds his commion denominator.....

"YOU'RE AFRICAN!" he says....."Me too....."

I tell you that fell flatter than a pancake under a steam roller......She was adamant that no pale skined straight haired aquiline featured man could be african......

He was quite confused...'But I am African'....."I was born in Cairo...."

Really priceless, the kind of entertainment you can only find in a Toronto pub,....

Edited November 8, 2007 by M.Dancer

RB · November 9, 2007

Toronto School Board Ponders Black-Focused Schools
Tuesday November 6, 2007

CityNews.ca Staff

Is it segregation or is it a solution?

The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) is looking at the controversial idea of black-focused schools again, an idea that's been rejected in the past, as some of its members complain that the education system is failing students of colour.

margrace · November 9, 2007

I heard this proposed by a representative of the Black community and who gave several reasons for this. First and formost was the treatment of Black students in the regular system. Would it not be better to have a good look at what is exactly going on in these schools. Who is making the Black students unwelcome and why?