Anger over scheme for black pupils
9:01am Friday 14th September 2007
Comments (30)A Garston primary school is under fire for a scheme that offers additional learning support to black and mixed race pupils only.
Parents of youngsters attending Alban Wood Primary School say they are "disgusted" their children are being segregated by the colour of their skin.
Black and mixed race pupils received a letter last week explaining the school in The Brow had been allocated a budget to offer them extra classroom support.
At a meeting on Tuesday to discuss the Black Children's Achievement Project concerned parents were told "gun culture" and a lack of positive black role models in society was affecting educational achievement.
Parents, however, are angry because the scheme is aimed only at black or mixed race children, and is not based on ability.
One mother, who has two children at the school and asked not to be named, said: "It's as if black children learn differently and need to be taught differently. That's what's upset people.
They say children need extra help because of their skin colour."
Another mother, who has a daughter at Alban Wood, said: "I don't bring my kids up that way so why should they go to school and be taught that way.
"Children go to school as one and it's going to cause segregation.
"They might as well put them on separate buses.
"Whether black, white, pink or blue, if a child needs help, they need help.
"They don't need to distinguish between race."
The project was given the go-ahead this term after it proved successful last year for a handful of pupils.
Sharifa Chaudry, chair of the Multi Racial Community Centre in Watford, said parents should accept support if it is available.
She said: "Some parents do feel that having extra support is in some way labelling their child as underachieving.
"If children are getting extra support, what is the harm?"
A Hertfordshire County Council representative, speaking on behalf of the school, said: "The school employed a support worker for one day a week last term and was keen for the support to continue because it had a positive effect. MECSS was able to fund this excellent work for one or two days a week for a further term.
"The school funds a variety of extra help across the board, of which this is just a small part, and welcomes any funding which helps all children reach their full potential."
For full story see today's Watford Observer. To tell us what you think about the issues raised in this story, fill out the form below.
Your Say YourWatford Observer
David, Watford says...
10:16am Fri 14 Sep 07
On one hand it stereotypes certain groups as being role-modeless and into gang culture based on some vague media moral panic. On the other hand it makes groups not receiving extra help and funding question why the pay their taxes if it's not going to a genuinely common pot. Do white working class kids not underachieve these days?
Roy Stockdill, Garston says...
10:59am Fri 14 Sep 07
"Under the Race Relations Act, it is unlawful to discriminate against anyone on grounds of race, colour, nationality (including citizenship), or ethnic or national origin."
Since this money is being spent on black and mixed-race children only, it would seem that there is clearly discrimination against white children. Therefore, it must surely be illegal and the school is breaking the law.
I agree with David that it is also insulting and patronising to black parents to suggest that their children need extra tuition because they lack role models, just as it is patronising and offensive to give someone a job purely because of their colour and not based on ability.
The entire "race relations" industry has got itself into a Kafkaesque mess and is only digging the pit of its own destruction ever deeper.
JohnBoy, Watford says...
1:49pm Fri 14 Sep 07
Herbert, Watford says...
2:09pm Fri 14 Sep 07
Kick out Labour, kick out these multi-culti hypocrites. They've done enough damage already with their stupidity
Roger, Watford says...
2:42pm Fri 14 Sep 07
If black children really need to be taught differently to other children then why not segregate classes accordingly? Perhaps we should consider separate schools?
Education should be colour blind. If black children get extra help then the value of their achievements will be diminished compared to those children who did not get extra help. Did those high-achieving black role models I mentioned get extra help? I doubt it.
This "extra help" scheme smacks of racism.
Roy Stockdill, Garston says...
3:52pm Fri 14 Sep 07
I've just been looking at Alban Wood Primary's official website, which has no mention of this affair that I could find. I wonder why?
David, Watford says...
4:36pm Fri 14 Sep 07
liz, garston says...
4:40pm Fri 14 Sep 07
Cruyff14, Watford says...
7:03pm Fri 14 Sep 07
lorna, garston says...
9:20pm Fri 14 Sep 07
Roy Stockdill, Garston says...
10:19pm Fri 14 Sep 07
1) Discrimination against white children, some of whom may well also need additional tutorial help but won't get it because the scheme is restricted to black and mixed race children only. This is surely illegal under the Race Relations Act.
2) Offensive behaviour towards the parents of black pupils, whom they patronise and insult by suggesting they are not good parents and that their children need additional help purely because of their skin colour. The mention of gun culture and black people's lack of role models is also gratuitously offensive, I would suggest.
I hope those responsible for this lunatic state of affairs get to read these comments and realise what a ghastly error they have made.
Were I a parent of a child at Alban Wood Primary, I would seriously be considering a formal complaint under the Race Relations Act. I hope people who do have children there make their feelings very clear.
Tracey, Stevenage says...
11:01pm Fri 14 Sep 07
john, watford says...
10:21am Sat 15 Sep 07
Jay, watford says...
2:47pm Sat 15 Sep 07
100% of schools' budgets are dedicated to supporting all pupils. If there is extra money from the government available to support a small group then the support already in place can be increased in other areas. No one loses.
Roy Stockdill, says...
10:36am Sun 16 Sep 07
Jay wrote:You are missing the point. No-one would argue that giving extra support and educational help to those who need it is anything other than a good thing. However, by all accounts - and this includes a posting above from the parent of a black child who has seen the letter and was deeply offended by it - the allocation of this additional help is being done on skin colour and restricted to one group only, i.e. black and mixed raced pupils. This surely must be a breach of the Race Relations Act, since it discriminates against other children who do not fall into this group. It is also, as I said previously, surely patronising and insulting to the parents of black and mixed race pupils to suggest that it is only their children who need such help.
This is another example of press sensationalism and inadequate journalism. How can any comment be made when the text of the letter has not been published in the article? No one can make an informed decision without all the relevant information, surely. The paper is inflaming an already sensitive situation and I am unsure of the motive for this. 100% of schools' budgets are dedicated to supporting all pupils. If there is extra money from the government available to support a small group then the support already in place can be increased in other areas. No one loses.
Jay, Watford says...
11:17am Sun 16 Sep 07
.dfes.gov.uk/ethnicm
inorities/raising_ac
hievement/bpaprogram
me/ endorsed by Diane Abbott. I would therefore suggest that the school is following DfES initiated schemes.
Schools receive other funding aimed at diverse groups, ethnic as well as others, regardless of ability.
According to DfES statistics (see Standards website)
this ethnic group is more likely to become disaffected later in the their education and this scheme is in place to try to make inroads to prevent that. No one has suggested, as far as I can see, that parents are to blame.
All ability groups receive additional support but whatever schools do will be criticised. For example, if low ability and high ability groups are targeted for extra support then there would be an outcry about how the average ability pupils are being ignored.
Perhaps the target of criticism should not be schools but guidelines laid out by the government.
george, harrow says...
12:59pm Sun 16 Sep 07
The truth is for what ever reason people from these backgrounds have been underacheiving in the terms of what we as society expect of people.
It`s very well known that a proportion of people from these backgrounds have difficulty learning in large groupings and learn better in small/specialised groups.
I think we often moan and groan about these particular groups not learning at the same pace as other groups and then when someone starts to address the issue in a positive manner we all start making negative comments,we should be looking at the positives rather than the negatives !!
john, watford says...
2:11pm Sun 16 Sep 07
tegan, garston says...
6:24pm Sun 16 Sep 07
tegan, garston says...
6:26pm Sun 16 Sep 07
Jay, Watford says...
6:40pm Sun 16 Sep 07
SHAZ, garston says...
7:17pm Sun 16 Sep 07
Pleased From Watford, Watford says...
11:47am Mon 17 Sep 07
This story has upset pretty much every 'group' of people in the area, from every possible background, birthplace and colour of skin. This demonstrates to me that sometimes the colour of skin means far more to the organisations trying to "stamp things out" than it does to the mixed bunch of people living in relative harmony with each other in the area.
Colour of skin is meant to be unimportant, and yet the question of ethnic background always seems to wind up on every form I have to fill in for Watford Borough Council. In the end, the very people in place to stamp out racism are as guilty of perpetuating it as the ignorant people of the World who started it in the first place.
bev, watford says...
1:38pm Mon 17 Sep 07
!!
Roy Stockdill, says...
12:09am Tue 18 Sep 07
Pleased From Watford wrote:How very perceptive and accurate you are! As you so rightly point out, it is these very people whose liberal, white, self righteous, do-gooding, politically correct consciences forces their absurd guilt complex to make people fill in silly and stupid forms declaring their race, etc. And why? Because they intend to treat them differently because of their race, which is an offence against all of us in the only race that matters, the human race.
I\'m not sure I\'m qualified to voice my opinion on these circumstances based purely on a report in a local paper without knowing all the facts first hand, but I would say this: This story has upset pretty much every \'group\' of people in the area, from every possible background, birthplace and colour of skin. This demonstrates to me that sometimes the colour of skin means far more to the organisations trying to \"stamp things out\" than it does to the mixed bunch of people living in relative harmony with each other in the area. Colour of skin is meant to be unimportant, and yet the question of ethnic background always seems to wind up on every form I have to fill in for Watford Borough Council. In the end, the very people in place to stamp out racism are as guilty of perpetuating it as the ignorant people of the World who started it in the first place.
As you so rightly say, we can all get along perfectly fine without the nannies from the government and the town hall trying to run all our lives for us.
I occasionally have to go to Watford General Hospital for a checkup and every time I go they try and make me fill in a form and tick boxes telling them what colour I am, what race I am and what my religion is, etc., and I draw a line through it telling them that it is none of their d*mn business! I trust everybody else will do the same.
JohnBoy, Watfiord says...
8:02am Tue 18 Sep 07
anon, says...
9:29pm Thu 20 Sep 07
is there any help for him no because there is no money he is white so does not qualify for this scheme, i am angry about it you bet i am
they should be teaching all the children the same and if a child needs extra support it should be decided by needs not race
i beleive the headteacher and her support staff have a lot to answer to for allowing this to happen
and tegan if your dad works there i suggest you go back and talk to him about it as most of the mixed race and black children who received the letters are british and speak english very well
anon, watford says...
10:18am Sat 22 Sep 07
anon wrote:i totally agree with anon, i to have a child at alban wood who is having difficulties, but is also excluded because she is white. we as parents are preached to about not doing enough to help them with their schoolwork, then find out that the school have done this. BRING BACK MR SAMPEY.
my child attends this school and is stuggling. is there any help for him no because there is no money he is white so does not qualify for this scheme, i am angry about it you bet i am they should be teaching all the children the same and if a child needs extra support it should be decided by needs not race i beleive the headteacher and her support staff have a lot to answer to for allowing this to happen and tegan if your dad works there i suggest you go back and talk to him about it as most of the mixed race and black children who received the letters are british and speak english very well
sharron, London says...
12:53pm Thu 18 Oct 07
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Aimzie, Watford says...
9:46am Fri 14 Sep 07
Just accept the help and get over it.