Toronto set to launch black-focused school

Written by Darren Hewer

Earlier this month, the world celebrated Martin Luther King Jr Day on the 40th anniversary of Dr King’s historic speech where he dreamed of equality for people of all races. The issue of race has come back prominently into the news in Canada with the announcement that the Toronto District School Board approved moving ahead to created an "Afro-centric school":

The debate over Africentric schools in Toronto is raging [due to] a controversial step to help struggling black students with alternative education. By a vote of 11 to nine, school trustees agreed on an "operational model" for a black-focused school. The school would focus on the experiences and contributions of African people with a goal of discouraging students in the black community from dropping out.

A study done in 2006 found that 40 per cent of black students do not complete high school. [Source: CTV News]

Do you think a race-focused school will help? Is it appropriate to create schools which are tailored to specific races, or should public schools attempt to present a unified and diverse curriculum that is applicable to everyone in modern multicultural North America?