How Black and Working Class Children Are Deprived of Basic Education in Canada

This book is the culmination of twenty-four years of research. It explores the thematic intersections of race, class, immigration, and the potential of building student-centered classrooms. Of course, the building of a truly student-centered is itself a slow and contested process. Over the years, progressive changes towards more inclusive education made by some governments were dismantled by others, and have left disadvantaged children where they were before the study was launched. In the meantime, the system has perfected the process of streaming minority children to dead-end courses that betray the social and economic mobility advertised to them. This book examines the moments and positions of educational betrayal in which racialized and working class students disproportionately find themselves. For many, at that point the only option is to drop out of school and engage in the drug trade or other lifestyles that put them at further risk. This is a longitudinal study of a kind with respect to reform and changes retained in education. It started with eight months observation of a split level grade five and six classroom in September 1986. That was instrumental in identifying the uphill battle that black, working class and new immigrant children and their parents were facing to secure the education they deserved. Through continued reviews, observation and follow up interviews change or lack of it was traced. The results call for urgent overhaul of the way education is provided to all children. The book ends with suggestions to effect change. TABLE OF CONTENTS 6 PREFACE 8 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 10 PART I: INTRODUCTION 12 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 13 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 14 OVERVIEW OF THE BOOK 15 DEFINITION OF TERMS 16 Often Used Terms 17 Analytical Terms 18 School System Labels 18 CHAPTER 2: A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE 20 TEACHER-CENTRED EDUCATION DEFINED 20 STUDENT-CENTRED EDUCATION DEFINED 23 FROM PASSIVE RESISTANCE TO ‘FADING OUT’ 30 MY INCLUSIVE EDUCATION FRAMEWORK 32 STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CURRICULUM, TEACHING AND LEARNING 33 TRAINING AND THE RECOGNITION OF TEACHERS AS INTELLECTUAL WORKERS 36 CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGYI 39 RESEARCH SETTING 40 GAINING ACCESS TO THE CLASSROOM 42 ABOUT THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE STUDY 44 WHY A QUALITATIVE STUDY? 46 ETHICAL AWARENESS 47 DATA COLLECTION 48 DATA ANALYSIS 49 PART II: DATA ANALYSIS 51 CHAPTER 4: FOCUS ON THE CURRICULUM 52 ONE DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE CLASSROOM 52 TREATMENT OF THE CRITICAL ISSUES OF RACE, CLASS, AND GENDER IN THE CURRICULUM 57 INDOCTRINATION THROUGH RITUALISTIC EPISODES 65 SUMMARY 69 CHAPTER 5: THE TEACHER-CENTRED VS. STUDENT-CENTREDCONTINUUM 71 LEARNING ACTIVITIES AND THE PERCEIVED ROLE OF THE TEACHER 71 THE LIMITATIONS OF A SPLIT-LEVEL CLASSROOM 75 COMMUNICATION AND ORGANIZATION IN THE GYM AND SCHOOLYARD 76 PASSIVE RESISTANCE: FORMS OF STUDENT CONTESTATION 77 SUMMARY 85 CHAPTER 6: PARENT INVOLVEMENT IN EDUCATION: VERTICAL MOSAIC IN ACTION 87 THE STRUGGLE OF A BLACK MOTHER AGAINST THE SCHOOL SYSTEM 87 A CRY FOR HELP MET BY MANUFACTURED DISABILITIES 93 HISTORY CONTINUES TO REPEAT ITSELF: THE RUSH TO DOCUMENT FALSE DISABILITIES AND RECORD THEM IN THE OSR 94 OTHER PARENTS’ INVOLVEMENT 102 HIGHLY-MANAGED PARENT INVOLVEMENT AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL 107 SUMMARY 109 CHAPTER 7: MYTH VS. REALITY IN PUBLIC EDUCATION 110 A SCHOOL WITHIN A SCHOOL: SEPARATE, BUT NOT EQUAL 110 DISTRIBUTION OF EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES IN A MULTICULTURAL CONTEXT 120 A NEW BREED OF FAILING AFRICAN-CANADIAN STUDENTS 125 FROM PASSIVE RESISTANCE TO ‘FADING OUT’ OR FIGHTING BACK 128 WHITE STUDENTS IDENTIFY REASONS WHY THEY DROPPED OUT OF SCHOOL 131 SUMMARY 135 CHAPTER 8: A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE 137 RACE-BASED STATISTICS ON ACHIEVEMENT AND STREAMING 139 ON RACIAL AND GENDER COMPOSITION OF STAFF 141 SCHOOL DROP-OUT RATE FROM 1987 TO 2010 144 PROGRESS – OR LACK OF IT – TOWARDS INCLUSIVE EDUCATION 147 SUMMARY 150 PART III: CONCLUSION 151 CHAPTER 9: FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 152 FORGE A BROAD-BASED COALITION TO REFORM EDUCATION 155 FREE EMPLOYMENT EQUITY POLICY FROM THE CYCLE OF WHITE MEN’S WRATH 158 MULTICENTRIC EDUCATION: IT WILL TAKE MORE THAN RE-ARRANGING THE DESKS 159 AIM REFORM TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF FAILING STUDENTS 160 MAKE RACE AND CLASS-BASED STATISTICS READILY AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC 164 APPENDIX 1: FIELD OBSERVATION GUIDE 165 On the Neighbourhood 165 About the School 165 In the Classroom 165 APPENDIX 2: INTERVIEW GUIDE FOR STUDENTS 166 A- On their Background 166 B- About School 166 C- In the Classroom 166 APPENDIX 3: INTERVIEW GUIDE FOR FOCUS GROUPS 168 APPENDIX 4: INTERVIEW GUIDE FOR PARENTS 169 APPENDIX 5: INTERVIEW GUIDE FOR STAFF 170 APPENDIX 6: STUDENT PROFILES 171 African-Canadians 171 Other African-Canadians 171 Hispanic Canadians 172 Pakistani Canadians 172 Vietnamese Canadians 173 Other East and South-East Asians 173 Greek Canadians 173 Other Euro-Canadians 174 REFERENCES 175 Front Matter....Pages i-x Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Introduction....Pages 3-9 A Review of the Literature....Pages 11-29 Research Methodology....Pages 31-42 Front Matter....Pages 43-43 Focus on the Curriculum....Pages 45-63 The Teacher-Centred vs. Student-Centred Continuum....Pages 65-80 Parent Involvement in Education....Pages 81-103 Myth vs. Reality in Public Education....Pages 105-131 A Historical Perspective....Pages 133-146 Front Matter....Pages 147-147 Findings and Recommendations....Pages 149-161 Back Matter....Pages 163-179