Preville on Politics
Segregation Schmegregation
Posted on January 30, 2008 by Philip Preville
I hate to bring it up, but…
If this works—which is to say, if it produces a decline in dropout rates among Caribbean-born students, and eventually swells the ranks of black high-school, college and university graduates, which in turn will improve their opportunities, incomes, quality of life and sense of belonging, and arguably save a few lives along the way—then we will all have to wonder why we clung for so long to a system of education that did such a disservice to diversity. We might even have to reconsider why we are so dead-set against this.
Philip Preville
Veteran freelance writer Philip Preville lived much of his life in Montreal and Edmonton before he was lured, like so many Torontonians before him, by the promise of more work and a better living. A National Magazine Award winner and former Canadian Journalism Fellow at the University of Toronto’s Massey College, Preville writes Toronto Life’s politics column. He lives with his wife and one-year-old son in Riverdale, just close enough to the Don Valley Parkway that he can hear it when he steps outside his house—but just far enough away that it doesn’t keep him awake at night. On his office wall hangs a 1938–39 press pass belonging to his grandfather, Elias Gannon, who wrote for the Montreal Star.
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Comments
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Simple Question January 30, 2008 at 2:57 p.m.
Has it worked at the native schools?
Philip Preville January 30, 2008 at 3:10 p.m.
No. Is integrated education working for Caribbean-born students? No. What I take away from Falconer's comments is that the TDSB is adept at finding ways of failing its marginalized communities.
http://www.nationalpost.com/story.html?i...
At least in the case of the Toronto Native School, the problem is centralized in one location, which I'd argue will make it easier to diagnose and treat. Of course, the TDSB might prove me wrong by finding a way to fail at that too.
Dennis Raphael January 30, 2008 at 10:10 p.m.
Regardless of the discussion about pro- or anti- black schools what is so striking is the lack of discourse about the very high poverty rates and employment situations of Black Torontonians as compared to others.
Shall we return to those "damn maps" again?
Jim January 31, 2008 at 10:47 a.m.
Just a suggestion, but perhaps if black Torontoians would stay in school and graduate, they wouldn't be poor and unemployed. At what point does a person have to take responsibility for their own success? Every day I see new immigrants who barely speak English working hard and attending school to try and better themselves - is it so impossible for black Torontoians to do the same thing? My local Tim Hortons has 'walk up interviews' - they will hire you on the spot if you want a job and are willing to learn. Will they really not hire a black person who applies?
dr January 31, 2008 at 1:49 p.m.
It must be genetic then.
Michael Vanner February 4, 2008 at 5:06 p.m.
Phillip, Jim's comment is really the antithesis of Dennis's comment, Dennis's in turn reinforces your own response to "Simple Question". Any community with rampant poverty issues will suffer from a low graduation rate. It has nothing to do with ethnic background and has everything to do with being poor, hungry and marginalized. That same community will breed all manner of social ails.
Sure many immigrants come to Canada and work at menial jobs and go to school. Some of them (or their children) go on to be successful, but for the most part it has nothing to do with race, colour, creed or religion (and I'm assuming that DR is being facetious by suggesting it's genetic). Many "White Canadians" are societal problems and don't want to work or attend school. I see them asking for money on almost every street corner downtown. Sure many of them have medical issues, but many of them are just plain anti-social and don't want to be part of society.
The Falconer report is a cop-out by the TDSB to whitewash the fact that TDSB senior staff and trustees have their head in the sand when it comes to what is really happening in the schools. Having special schools based upon ethnic criteria and not abilities is a recipe for disaster.
Sean D'Anconia February 13, 2008 at 1:58 p.m.
I believe that I can make a few easy to understand and cogent points here.
1. Human beings should not be identified by the amount or degree of pigmentation in their skin color. No scientific evidence exists that points to a difference in capacities among individuals of different anthropological origins.
2. One does not fight an evil (i.e., racism), by adopting and practicing it.
3. The problem here seems to be an issue of somewhat American-sponsored Urban-culture being made attractive to children and youth of an African background. The only way to combat this is through INDIVIDUALISM. Our schools along with parents, need to drop MULTICULTURALISM and promote the individual above the collective or tribe.
Young men and women need to be taught again that they are separate entities and should choose their values and identity based on their own personal values and goals.
Moreover, even if all people with dark skin identify themselves as "black" or "african", etc., our Govn't has no business other than to treat them as 100% equal, free and SEPARATE individuals within our society. Interest group warfare based on race, ethnicity, heritage and similarly obfuscating terms should be utterly abandoned.
4. Teach young Canadians or any person for that matter, that they are responsible for themselves, their choices and the only thing bigger than themselves is the life they have ahead of them. The days of "Hitlerian" race-wars should be put far behind us, and while some of the advocates of "Black Focused" schools may have, ahem, good intentions, they are completely wrong and immoral in their approach.
I feel very bad for every young man or woman who falls under the spell of believing that they need special attention because they are somehow inferior, better or "outside" of mainstream culture. I hope that every man and woman or reason that still exists out there will abhor and fight this new twist on an old evil.
Sean D'Anconia