To think I should be able to express a desire to not want to send my child to the local school which has more than 95% asian children and not be called a racist!

[Sails]

The school is a few minutes walk away from me but I have no intention of sending my children there. Most classes there isn't a single white child in it especially the younger end of the school. The other nearest school is about a 25 minute walk away. It has a 50% mix have absolutely no problem with that whatsoever. I have asian neighbours and even they don't even send their Reception child to the local school. Told my hairdresser that I don't want to send my child to x school and she said "thats a bit racist!" Told my neighbour and she too was shocked and said I am probably the least racist person she knows!

I mean YABVU!

FWIW OP I don't think you are being racist. My DP is black and there are VERY few black people where we live. To illustrate this point when she came into the rural school where I teach one of the children looked at her aghast and said "Is IT coming out to play?" She is very understanding about it ( the child was only 4 years old) but she does find it a bit difficult and stressful always being the odd one out. Likewise my nephews were the only white children at their school. They loved it and had many friends but were mercilessly teased for having very blonde hair and blue eyes and did not enjoy being so much in the minority.

Obviously other posters have different experiences but I don't think YABU to ask the question.

That'll be an old thread then :o

Has anyone mentioned the exam results? The % of A* to C at GCSE and A Level would be a major factor for me in deciding for or against the school, not the ethnic mix. As a teacher I do not have great admiration for Ofsted but I would take the Ofsted report into account too. If it only got a satisfactory (or worse!) then I wouldn't send my child there if I could avoid it. Asian children generally work hard and have strong family support behind them. This would arguably be a good influence on your child. Many white British children have a very bad command of the English language.

Errr....have just realised that this is not only an old thread, it is positively ancient!! :)

WTF 2009?

The child has either joined the BNP or settled in the school of 95% by now!

I know of very small rural schools where parents have moved DCs because they were the only girl or boy in their year group, being in a very tiny minority is difficult.

Also others have posted threads about the difficulties of organising birthday party's or play dates with children of Asian backgrounds.
Sadly it takes both sides to form an integrated society. Not that I blame parents who feel they'd rather not join a society which doesn't necessarily value education or respect the age of consent.

Racist.
Disgusting
Open your eyes and you will see a very mixed place we all live in.
I'm sure were past the old'n days were you didn't send your child there as there's too many Asian kids.
Wtf
I went to a school just like the one you mentioned
I'm
Asain
My best mate was White ( he was the only one in my class) got on brilliantly with everyone. If your child mixes in well and isnt as prejudice as you then your child would mix in well.
Kids of today understand that colour doesnt make a person.
Obv the parent doesn't.

*Asian
And yes all the Asians I know from that school are doing very well for themselves

The child has either joined the BNP or settled in the school of 95% by now!

very funny Debeez

I think people don't care that it's an old thread they just got carried away arguing their point!

It's not racist. There is likely a high proportion for whom english is a foreign language and that will seriously affect the education received, there are also cultural attitudes in some communities which leave a lot to be desired and the children are going to be more influenced by the dominant culture they are raised in within self contained communities rather than that of the country they are living in.

It's natural to want to raise your child as English in England. Not racist. Normal.

There's a big difference between having a multicultural school which this isn't and mini Pakistan or where ever and those people who refuse to understand and just love to scream racism about everything are always the one's who will never have to send their children to these schools.

Fgs, people talk about the segregation of society, well guess what if white people don't send their kids to majority Asian schools and asin people don't send their kids to majority white schools of course thieir will be segregation and the division of commu iTunes. This responsibility is not some lofty ideal that applies to someone else, it applies to each of us individually.

Also you do know that children that are fluent in another language are slower to start with English but by eleven years old overtake peers with one language due to the understanding and skills needed to speak two languages fluently and understand grammar etc

Also having English as a second language doesn't meant hey are not fluent.

ZOMBIE THREAD ZOMBIE THREAD ZOMBIE THREAD ZOMBIE THREAD ZOMBIE THREAD ZOMBIE THREAD ZOMBIE THREAD ZOMBIE THREAD ZOMBIE THREAD ZOMBIE THREAD ZOMBIE THREAD ZOMBIE THREAD ZOMBIE THREAD ZOMBIE THREAD

HTH

bobbledunk Thu 15-Mar-12 09:31:05
"It's not racist. There is likely a high proportion for whom english is a foreign language and that will seriously affect the education received, there are also cultural attitudes in some communities which leave a lot to be desired and the children are going to be more influenced by the dominant culture they are raised in within self contained communities rather than that of the country they are living in."

It is racist because the OP mentioned being white, not speaking a different language. She gave no indication at all that she would have a problem with a school containing Polish or Italian or Swedish children. Though there is no reason that those children would speak better English- in fact, less reason, seeing that English is used as an official langauge in India and many Indian families are naturally bilingual with English as a second language, something that is extremely rare in European countries.

I know this thread is ancient; I still find it extremely unpleasant that my children would be seen as an asset for their bilingualism (how clever of them!) simply because they are white, whereas an Asian child who is equally bilingual would be considered a drawback.

"I bet the original poster has moved on and is busily taking skull measurements of different racial groups or trying to invade Poland."

Why do these ancient threads get bumped

Sorry, there was meant to be a after that quoted bit!

I wouldn't want my kid going to a school here in Ireland which was 95% Swedish children, I want my kid Irish, not culturally Swedish, couldn't care less about the colour. Can't imagine any of the immigrants in my area being too happy about that either.

It's the 95% culturally foreign that's the problem,that and the likelihood of a greater number of children arriving with limited English. The class, whatever their colour will not benefit from English as a foreign language being taught until they have caught up and not having the same level of attention and learning they would in a class where everybody is able to understand the teacher.

I went to school in what is now an ex-pit village. Our year was all white bar one Asian kid, one African-Caribbean kid and one Chinese kid. They didn't lose their identity or stuggle to integrate. Neither they or their parents seemed to have problems with them being the only minority in a class full of white kids.

Why should it be any different if the situation was reversed? Language probably isn't an issue as in all likelihood the kids will be third generation British.

I would not send my child to a school that had a majority of non British kids. If I went to live in another country that would be another story of course. But I do not think it is right for children to feel like they are the odd ones out in a school in their own country. Sorry if that makes me a "racist" or whatever.

I know the thread is old but I have to say, I don't think it's racist regardless of whether it's a reasonable argument or not. I think we bandish about the word racism far too often these days when what we mean is rude and offensive. I think it demeans the word and that's dangerous.

But then, I don't think one footballer calling another a 'black bastard' is racist either. I think he's most likely (although I don't know him so am generalising) used it well, because the guy is black and he is trying to insult him. I think if he'd been trying to insult Paul Scholes he's have called him a 'ginger bastard'. I think this sort of thing is nasty and offensive but not racist. Racism is hatred and assumption of superiority based on skin colour or ethnicity. The footballer may well think himself superior but it's unlikely to be because he's white, far more likely because he's an arrogant twat.