What our schools need

By Gary Pieters
Letters to the Editor
Toronto Sun
Published on Monday July 31, 2006., p. 18-19
Also available online at http://www.torontosun.com/Comment/Letters/2006/07/31/1710867.html

"Africentric Education" by Innocent Madawo (July 24) missed the mark. The dimensions and frameworks of Africentric education place the schooling of African Canadians in an inclusive, collaborative, intrinsic, and culturally relevant context for lifelong learning. Africentric education is not a hegemonic, universal, one-size-fits-all pedagogy. It is socially defined and falls within a continuum which can range from emergent to exemplary. I see it as addressing the need to give African Canadians and racialized students agency, rather than marginalize them in the education system. How are we as a society being held accountable for high dropout rates; high suspension and expulsion rates; increased violence at all levels of society (local and global); fear-based rather than effective educational leadership; alienation and disenfranchisement; and disengagement? Africentric education is the solution to the problem of miseducation of African Canadian and racialized students.

Please Note: I found the Toronto Sun's comments in parentheses in their response to my letter to be quite offensive. Their quote: "(What an astonishing bunch of gobbledygook)"  

Gary Pieters is a member of the Toronto Star Community Editorial Board. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the San Romanoway Revitalization Association in Toronto's Jane and Finch Community. He is interested in culturally relevant education models and has participated in the Nova Scotia Department of Education - CACE 2006 Africentric Leadership and Management Summer Institute. In 2005, Gary Pieters served as the site administrator/principal of an Africentric Summer Institute for students in grades 1-5, and in 2006 as a supply site administrator at a new Africentric Summer Institute for grades 1-6 students in a west Toronto area school. He applies his education and experiences in the areas of equity/diversity capacity building, motivational speaker, human rights education facilitator and panelist. Gary has and continue to present workshops and keynote presentations on equity and inclusive education, anti-racist education and culturaly relevant education models. He is employed as an elementary school administrator in Toronto.

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