Erm, I'm mixed race (asian and white) and grew up in a very very white area with no problems at all. I'm 41.

Moved back to big bad city and have a ds and wanted to him to have much wider perception of our people and it's every bloody play group was soooooo segregated. He's going to a very very multicultural school - but quite honestly I think that means jack shit - I got my multiculturalism from home - as will your dcs I expect.

I hear so many people wanting their kids to go to 'mutlicultural schoools' - I just want mine to go to a school where they will learn to read write and maths - everything else can be got from home quite honestly.

very interesting crokky, esp the link to the artical in newsweek

thanks crokky, will have a look

well I have surprised myself and have been able to find the thread for you , there is a link in there to a report

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/8/856062-explaining-race-to-a-nearly-4-year-old

I have 3 mixed dcs and they would all look white to a casual observer.

Is there another choice? My dcs go to a Catholic primary which, although there are only about 10 non white children in the school, its a big step up on some other local schools where there are no non white children at all. It also has a much broader social mix as it has an enormous catchment. Not very helpful if you aren't Catholic though.

Your dcs aren't going to have the same experience as you, even if you moved so they could go to a more diverse school. Every choice you make for them means they are missing out on the alternative. If you choose to live in a village then they miss out on city life. If you choose to life in a big multicultural city then they miss out on village life. You can't give them every experience.

I agree with what crokky says about racial seggragation in mixed schools. It can leave mixed race children with nowhere to go when the black children play with the black children, the white children play with the white children etc.

You can make them aware of the cultural mix outside of school if you think its lacking at school. Where abouts are you? there used to be a really good surestart playgroup for ethnic minority children near Mansfield somewhere.

crokky, that is true, some of them may well be mixed. My perceptions may be skewed because back in my day it was all very obvious! Plus, that was just MY experience, you know, just because I went to a very multicultural school, doesn't mean it is the only way to go does it?

Well we've lived here for three years and it is quite a 'white' area - not just british but lots of eastern european etc. There just aren't that many black people living here. I just want them to be aware of the cultural mix of the country they live in, and also because I don't really have any family on my side, they are not getting anything from the 'black' side of my heritage. I just want them to be rounded, caring boys (they are already bless them!) who are culturally aware, but I don't want to sacrifice their education... OOOh, this is all so confusing!

There was a link on another thread that had a study of children's perceptions of race.

I wouldn't know how to find it, someone might know what I am referring to, but one of the things it said (not word for word as I can't quite remember) whilst a very mixed school provided opportunities for children to have friends of other races, it also provided just as many opportunities for racial segregation. It found that a white child was most likely to have a white best friend, a black child most likely to have a black best friend in a very mixed school. ie more mixing will go on in a school that is less mixed bizzare as it sounds! Perhaps someone will find it for you, but I wouldn't worry about it personally.

As well, you said your DCs look white even though they are mixed race. Some of the white children you saw on the tours might be mixed race as well?

I think that it depends what kind of racial identity you want your sons to grow up with- is it that you want them to feel part of a multi cultural community as a mixed race person, or are you worried that they will forget their black roots? Or maybe you just want them to be aware of the full cultural mix in Britain/the World? School isn't the only place they can do either of these things, of course... you will have a far bigger influence on your child than any school can. Are there any local clubs etc they an attend that will provide them with a broader experience? If not, then it may be a case, as riven says, that you have to accept that it's the nature of where you live.

Sorry that's a bit muddled- I am very tired this eve!