Subnormal: A British Scandal BBC 1 at 9pm

[EchoCardioGran]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-57178342

In the 1960's and 1970's, hundreds of Black children were considered to be " educationally subnormal" and sent to schools for children considered to be of low intelligence.

Black parents, teachers and activists fought for change.

I thought I'd start a thread here, if any one is watching, or has family stories to relate.

My mother still finds it really hard to talk about her school days here, due to all the racism she faced daily. Back then, where she was raised, it was very obvious name calling and treatment she had to put up with. I will be watching the programme.

I'm probably the same age as your Mum C130. I was at school during those days. Two Black children throughout my primary and junior schools. Secondary wasn't any better really.
I think the kindest name calling was "Mars Bar."
The school was always raising money to "Save the Black Babies" in Africa.
i.e. to make sure they got baptised and their souls saved.
The hypocrisy of it all.
I remember all hell letting loose, the day my friend said that Jesus was a Black man, because her grandmother told her he was.

Even though I started school in the early 80s they are talking about such people as my infant school headteacher as she was working in the 70s.

While she targeted black pupils in particular, she targeted any pupil she didn't like for nefarious reasons to get them out of "her" school. I discovered in secondary school some pupils who had disappeared from my infant school but hadn't moved house...

Unfortunately when she picked on me she picked on the wrong child, as my parents had no issue standing up to her lies. Also it was interesting that when they reported her to ILEA they were told there were other complaints about her.

The first head of the junior school was a lesbian and when she left she was replaced by a black man. The infant school head retired just before the black head came.

I never remember the infant school head talking to the head of the junior school and in fact they would send written messages to each other. Considering there were teachers dating/married to each other, the PTAs would talk to each other, etc this was odd.

Anyway all the pupils that were labelled difficult under that infant school head stopped having that label within two months of the black head starting....

I've been thinking some more about my childhood. In a British city, living in a predominately white working class area. Social housing,

I don't remember ever seeing a Black teacher, not in primary, junior, secondary, and when I went to University, not one Black lecturer in my subject area. .

I remember being hit with a ruler by a nun in junior school, fourteen times on the hand,. I didn't answer a question fast enough. She kept hitting me each time as she chanted the answer over and over.
Literally, beating the answer into me. I must have been about eight years old.

If anyone's interested, "sixty old pence is five shillings" Which has never been any use to me at all, as decimalisation. followed soon after.

Still I rise.

Watching this is honestly so heartbreaking. I know this happened decades ago but it is still painful and there are elements that still exist in the education system that I work in today albeit very subtle at times.

Hans Eysenck, the psychologist behind these discredited IQ tests, is a stain on the reputation of Kings College London.
Having escaped Nazi Germany, the utter irony of his bullsh*t pronouncements on the genetics and IQ of POC.

I first became aware of these special schools through the small axe series and was shocked by it but the documentary last night was so much more revealing.

This specific systemic treatment of black children was bad but let us remember too the wider prevailing attitudes of teachers and their low expectations of black children.

We’ll never know how many dreams died by the recurring reinforcement that they couldn’t be all that they could.

We’ll never know how many dreams died by the recurring reinforcement that they couldn’t be all that they could.

Doesn't bear thinking about.

@Maggiethecat

I first became aware of these special schools through the small axe series and was shocked by it but the documentary last night was so much more revealing.

This specific systemic treatment of black children was bad but let us remember too the wider prevailing attitudes of teachers and their low expectations of black children.

We’ll never know how many dreams died by the recurring reinforcement that they couldn’t be all that they could.

So true. Absolutely heartbreaking.

There's a thread in AIBU now.
Hmmm

@EchoCardioGran

There's a thread in AIBU now. Hmmm

What drama...

You can read the Swann Report here - www.educationengland.org.uk/documents/swann/swann1985.html

Oh thanks Red I wanted to read that, appreciate the link.
I've ordered a copy of the book,
How the West Indian child is made educationally subnormal in the British School system. by Bernard Coard.
I never knew it existed before the programme.

OP I want to read that but I know I will get angry.

I learnt a few years ago my infant head was not the only one acting like this, however ILEA refused to push these heads out and instead let them retire. They had complaints and evidence from parents and social workers of their racist behaviour and actions plus other reports, instead they swept it under the carpet and allowed children to be abused.

I've just had a look at Christopher Stevens (on Mailonline) reviewing it. It was grand - despite him hissing at the BBC telling us the programme '..expressed no compassion' for the people who suffered.
What was more interesting were the comments below - with the usual 'Why am I paying my licence?!' snarling, and 'BBC stirring the pot again!' fearful western-world growling by people who (in the 70's) would have been P**i-bashing and pissing themselves laughing at 'Love Thy Neighbour' and Bernard Manning giving it all he had in that sweat-smelling club up in Harpurhey.