Racial Segregation in the UK?

[rynnor]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5078504.stm

I have seen it happen in the London borough I went to school in - when I was a kid there were no seperate schools for different races - just a few catholic schools - everyone else went to their reasonably local state school - we had about 15% of kids from ethnic minorities which was pretty representative of the local population.

We never had any real problems with racism at school - it just wasnt an issue and fights were about personality clashes etc. as per any other school.

Now my old secondary school is almost entirely white kids and most kids from ethnic minorities go to schools for their religion or where pupils are either entirely or almost entirely from their minority.

Theres a girls school near the centre of town that used to be mixed but is now literally 100% black afro-carribean girls - theres no white girls at all and no asian or other minorities. The kids are nearly all from outside the borough and commute from afar on the train every day.

I completely disagree with the state supporting single faith or single race schools - what kind of trouble are we creating for the future by these actions?

Our society has benefitted from the melting pot of different cultures - its part of what makes this a great country but all that is threatened by this creeping segregation.

How can we integrate as a society if we divide on racial and religious lines? Childhood is when integration is most important - as people get older their attitudes get set and are harder to change.

The continued weakening of integration in our society plays into the hands of the racist far right - we dont want apartheid in the UK...

 

[TWS]

Agree

 

[Tom]

I'm not aware of the state supporting single-race schools?

Anyhow, this is a direct result of allowing parents a choice in which school their children attend.

 

[Mofo8]

So you're saying that when you were at school the odd Catholic school was OK.... but now it's not OK?

 

[nath]

It seems to be suggesting that when people have a choice, they segregate. I don't know what can be done about this - forcing integration is, as the article says, a sort of social engineering. If people want to segregate they will, I think it's terrible but I don't see how it can be forced otherwise.

 

[Wij]

Faith schools were always dumb. Follow the US imo.

As far parents choosing single race schools (de facto), erm, bugger, people are crap aren't they. Sod parent-choice then. Let 'em all go to the nearest unless they're willing to pay for it themselves.

 

[DaGaffer]

Faith schools were always dumb. Follow the US imo.

As far parents choosing single race schools (de facto), erm, bugger, people are crap aren't they. Sod parent-choice then. Let 'em all go to the nearest unless they're willing to pay for it themselves.

I think you and I are both on the same page when it comes to religion(!) but unfortunately, faith schools tend to get better results, which is why non-catholic parents will jump through hoops to get their kids in. Perhaps instead of bleating about faith schools people should work out why they get better results and try to emulate that. I'm not convinced its the 'faith' part that delivers better results; of course I could be wrong and I'm going to burn in Hell...

 

[throdgrain]

Hey its ok anyway. After all for years we've encouraged a multi-cultural society in this country. What this means is that instead of coming to live here and integrate with our way of life -and be welcomed on the whole too- we encourage immegrants to live thier own way like they did back home. Why shouldnt this include schools?
Im suprised they even bother to learn english, some of them.

 

[Trem]

Im suprised they even bother to learn english, some of them.

Lots of them don't.

 

[Tom]

Now now, what matters is if we all get along, not where we live or how we live. After all nobody blames the Welsh for living in Wales.

 

[rynnor]

So you're saying that when you were at school the odd Catholic school was OK.... but now it's not OK?

Nah that was stupid and divisive too but now its gotten a lot worse.

 

[rynnor]

faith schools tend to get better results, which is why non-catholic parents will jump through hoops to get their kids in. Perhaps instead of bleating about faith schools people should work out why they get better results and try to emulate that.

My Sister jumped through the hoops to get her kids in the local faith school that had a good reputation - when the assesments came around her kids told her that the school had let the slower kids have nearly twice as long as they are supposed to have to complete the assesment so you cant really believe all the stats.

Plus if any school has a good rep then pushy parents try to get their kids there - kids with pushy parents do better at school - school gets good results - its a virtuous circle - no magic involved or entreaties to higher powers ;P