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THE LEN LESSER REPORT  

THE LEN LESSER REPORT

 

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BLACK HIGH SCHOOLS ARE NOT THE ANSWER

The trustees of the Toronto District School Board have narrowly voted to approve an Afrocentric high school in 2009. Interesting that the only black school trustee voted against the proposal.

The stats show us that 40% of mostly Caribbean secondary students do not graduate from school in the GTA. Our Thames Valley statistics are very similar with many of our youngsters dropping out. Check the numbers and our young women students are doing better then their fellow male students.

Folks the schools/teachers are not the problem It is not about race, religion or curriculum. Student success begins and ends in a home environment that emphasis the importance of learning. Youngsters who have poor attendance in elementary school continue their skipping pattern when they enter high school.

Students inherit the values that their folks articulate. Successful parenting revolves around taking a sincere interest in the development of your youngster. Sitting them in front of a computer or television set for hours on end isn’t conducive to learning.

An intact family unit of a mother and father who set reasonable expectations brings along a sense of stability. Too many of our unsuccessful male students come from broken homes where there is not a positive male role figure. Check out the stats re the percentage rate of the black students who drop out of schools and you will see for yourself. The infamous Jane Finch corridor of mostly black residents have mostly female led homes.

When the system doesn’t work experimenting with segregating is at best a waste of $800,000. Parents have to be accountable for their students attendance at school.
The boards of education have to try and recruit visible male university minorities to teach in our schools. Most of our elementary/secondary school teachers are female with very few male role models for our students to emulate. In our society youngsters traditionally live with their mothers when the marriage is terminated.

The curriculum should celebrate the diverse multi-cultural society that we have in London. All students benefit from learning of the cultural diverse rainbow of colours/religions.

I called Laura Elliott, Executive Superintendent, Program Services of the Thames Valley Board of Education for some information. “The Ontario Department of Education is allocating funds to help students under the age of eighteen stay in school. The TVDSB has implemented alternative programming with at risk students, “The board hopes to provide opportunities for the majority of students who do not proceed to post secondary education upon graduation to be able to go directly to work..”All of us go to work with some going earlier then others.”

She hopes that the parents/students and teachers will work together to provide a positive atmosphere for the success of our students.

Len Lesser

Len Lesser posts a report every week

You can email Len at lenlesser@hotmail.com