Editorial

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It is not surprising that the organizers of a forum to discuss the education of Black youth at the St. Lawrence Centre last week had to turn scores of people away after the auditorium was filled to capacity. Black people are very concerned about education; always have been. And, many Black people in this city, parents and educators, are very concerned - and have been for a long time - about the kind of education (or lack of it) that some of our kids are receiving.

It also comes as no surprise that charges have been leveled that the school system is criminalizing Black youth or that the call for Black-focused schools is being renewed.

When the previous government enacted the Safe Schools Act with a zero-tolerance threshold for violence, it was hailed by some and feared by many, especially Blacks. It was hailed because most right thinking people abhor the very thought of children being subjected to any form of violence by fellow students and was seen as a way to protect children.

It was feared by Blacks, however, who felt strongly that any form of extreme discipline will most likely end up being used to target Black kids, especially those perceived to be troublesome. And, this fear is not unfounded. White society, by and large, continues to view Blacks - young and old - at least with suspicion in spite of all the inroads and achievements.

The sad stories we hear - which we have heard for decades - about the experiences of some Black children in the school system underline the fears and concerns expressed by parents and activists at open forums such as the one at the St. Lawrence Centre last week.

So, in spite of those who have rushed to show how well they have done in the system and how successful they are because of it and how they had no serious problems in school, there are those who do have problems. And there is a compelling body of evidence to suggest that they are not all the architects of their own problems.

We know that there are successful Blacks in this city, province and country. We know that more than most. We write about them all the time. We also know that there has to be something really wrong, something really amiss, when Black youth choose to drop out of school in droves. Maybe it's that the school system as it is now does not provide the kind of nurturing environment, the kind of encouragement for learning that some need. Maybe it is that some educators expect so little of Black kids that they don't take the time to work with them.

For one thing, why are school staff so quick to call in the cops to the school when a Black kid has an issue? From what we hear, cops are called in more often for Black kids than for White kids in a system-wide school population that is overwhelmingly White.

Could it be that educators are just plain afraid of Black people - even 10-year-old children? Or is it that they just couldn't be bothered to take the time to work with them and help them work through frustrations that might be caused by circumstances real or imagined?

The idea of Black-focused schools is not new. Neither is it about segregating Black kids from Whites as many, including some Blacks, have suggested.

The concept has come about as a result of the deep frustration and anguish of Black and other concerned parents, activists and educators over the welfare of some Black children now in the system.

The idea is to provide a learning environment in which those at-risk children could be made to feel a sense of security and caring from those around them in a school where images of Black success prevail; where images and the stories of Black achievers and historical events and figures share pride of place year round; where educators with the passion for working with kids who need a little extra help at building self-confidence and self-esteem find their calling; a place where kids learn that there are other options to the streets and crime.

What's so wrong with that? Such a school won't be for everyone and every Black kid won't be forced to attend, only those whose parents feel their child would benefit from that environment. White and other at-risk kids would also attend such a school, we would imagine, where it was felt they could benefit from the extra attention.

The reality is that there is something killing our children and we haven't been able to put a finger on it. When they are murdered on the streets we look for answers but they are not forthcoming.

Maybe we need to pay a little more attention to those formative years. The lives we save might be those of our own children.