130 likes | 285 Views
New perspectives on black pupil achievement and the impact of supplementary education: A British African-Caribbean Perspective. Dr Gloria Gordon Centre for British African-Caribbean Studies ( www.cbacs.org ) London South Bank University. Gloria Gordon MBA, PhD.
E N D
New perspectives on black pupil achievement and the impact of supplementary education:A British African-Caribbean Perspective Dr Gloria Gordon Centre for British African-Caribbean Studies (www.cbacs.org) London South Bank University 'Diversity, partnership, success - supplementary schools and stakeholders working together'
Gloria Gordon MBA, PhD • British African-Caribbean (achieved identity vs foreclosed ‘black’ identity) • Senior Lecturer and Research Fellow, Organisational analyst/individual and organisational transformation • 2002 National Teaching Fellow – excellence in teaching and learning/life-time award • Founder of Centre for British African-Caribbean Studies, LSBU • Author of “Towards Bicultural Competence: Beyond Black and White”, Trentham Books, 2007 'Diversity, partnership, success - supplementary schools and stakeholders working together'
Session brief • what are the current challenges faced by black children and young people • how are black boys faring in comparison to black girls, and why? • role of supplementary schools in raising aspirations and achievement of black pupils 'Diversity, partnership, success - supplementary schools and stakeholders working together'
Black • Afro-Caribbean • African-Caribbean • Black British • Black • Black culture; black churches, black music, etc 'Diversity, partnership, success - supplementary schools and stakeholders working together'
Current challenges faced by black children/young people • Working with the outcomes of 500 years of unconscious assimilation into black British culture • British culture racialises through its two primary sub-cultures: black and white • Research needed on how black and white children are differentially socialised within British culture into ‘black’ and ‘white’ cultures 'Diversity, partnership, success - supplementary schools and stakeholders working together'
Black Socialisation vs Bicultural Socialisation • Black children (DoEAs) socialised into black culture ‘… an externally imposed cultural disorder which has taken on a life of its own’ (McWhorter, 2001); Thermston & Thermston (2003) ‘dysfunctional cultural inheritance’ • Ethnic minorities engage in bicultural socialisation into a culture of origin (i.e. Indian culture) and a culture of residence (British culture) 'Diversity, partnership, success - supplementary schools and stakeholders working together'
How diversity is currently managed in Britain Pakistanis Indians Whites Blacks Africans Chinese 'Diversity, partnership, success - supplementary schools and stakeholders working together'
Supplementary Schools: “Cultural Boundary Workers” • Mediate human costs of unconscious assimilation into a culture of residence for DoEAs • Teaching as ‘… the elemental bond that exists between the elder of the tribe and their young …’ (Palmer, 1997) • Schooling as the ‘… conversation between generations’ • Supplementing vital cultural resources lost to black children but critical to human growth and development 'Diversity, partnership, success - supplementary schools and stakeholders working together'
Supplementary Schools Ethnicises instead of Racialising • Emotional and psychological resilience • Self-regulatory behaviours • Facilitates life transitions (Erikson, 1950) • Ethnic identity development as a life task: identity, belonging, self-esteem, values and norms, purpose and meaning • Status based on ‘social quality’ (Phillips & Berman, 2003) of ethnic group 'Diversity, partnership, success - supplementary schools and stakeholders working together'
A future vision of a truly multicultural Britain British African-Caribbean British Pakistanis British Indians British-English British-Chinese British Africans British-Scottish 'Diversity, partnership, success - supplementary schools and stakeholders working together'
Supplementary schools looking forward • Cultural integrity for BAC children • Recognising BAC culture of origin as the ‘bedrock’ culture and not the supplementary one • Play a central role in the education of British African Caribbean children 'Diversity, partnership, success - supplementary schools and stakeholders working together'
The Centre for British African-Caribbean Studies • Education and resource centre • Research Institute: BAC educational attainment throughout the life course • The Metanoia Project 2007-2034 (Teach) and (BAC) • Book: Towards Bicultural Competence: Beyond Black and White (Trentham Books) 'Diversity, partnership, success - supplementary schools and stakeholders working together'