Ending Racism in school programme

[patman post]

I watched the programme last night.(ch4) I had really mixed feelings about it by the end.  I felt overwhelmingly that the black kids were generally upbeat although they admitted times when they felt disadvantaged and that I guess was to be expected, but it was the white kids that really worried me. Far from being gung ho or obviously prejudiced they came across as cowed. They were fearful of speaking in case they inadvertently said something considered racist.

I thought on the whole the aims were fair enough but I do seriously question the methods of this course. It was filmed a year ago apparently, so long before the current problems but things that worried me were interesting. In this programme the children were split into 2 ethnic groups. It was the white kids who each time were removed to another room for discussions and then had to re-enter while the ethnic kids remained on home ground. I felt that that was quite telling for them and difficult. It should have been balanced with the others taking their turn. I can imagine that that act alone would have managed to increase their discomfort.

The woman leading her programme with them was black and American and there seemed to be more black than white teachers at times. Subliminal messages like nodding heads in agreement from teachers was also interesting. I just wonder how orchestrated this really was. I felt sorry for the kids - all of them. They didn't need to have this is the public domain. That in itself is pretty damaging.

Perhaps it's because the topic of racism has been swept under the carpet and not recognised and dealt with for so long that the current BLM demonstrations have attracted support from such a wide spectrums of the populations in so many countries.
Unfortunately, because it's been long time coming, both pro and anti factions are likely to have some supporters go OTT...

[Borchester]

I watched the programme last night.(ch4) I had really mixed feelings about it by the end.  I felt overwhelmingly that the black kids were generally upbeat although they admitted times when they felt disadvantaged and that I guess was to be expected, but it was the white kids that really worried me. Far from being gung ho or obviously prejudiced they came across as cowed. They were fearful of speaking in case they inadvertently said something considered racist.

I thought on the whole the aims were fair enough but I do seriously question the methods of this course. It was filmed a year ago apparently, so long before the current problems but things that worried me were interesting. In this programme the children were split into 2 ethnic groups. It was the white kids who each time were removed to another room for discussions and then had to re-enter while the ethnic kids remained on home ground. I felt that that was quite telling for them and difficult. It should have been balanced with the others taking their turn. I can imagine that that act alone would have managed to increase their discomfort.

The woman leading her programme with them was black and American and there seemed to be more black than white teachers at times. Subliminal messages like nodding heads in agreement from teachers was also interesting. I just wonder how orchestrated this really was. I felt sorry for the kids - all of them. They didn't need to have this is the public domain. That in itself is pretty damaging.

It is a bit like going to church Toots. The vicar gets up and sighs and tells us that we are all sinners and a good chunk of the congregation are thinking sinners, we should be so lucky. And bit by bit the congregation shrinks but the clergy still hammer out the same old line because frankly, that is all they have to sell

[T00ts]

I watched the programme last night.(ch4) I had really mixed feelings about it by the end.  I felt overwhelmingly that the black kids were generally upbeat although they admitted times when they felt disadvantaged and that I guess was to be expected, but it was the white kids that really worried me. Far from being gung ho or obviously prejudiced they came across as cowed. They were fearful of speaking in case they inadvertently said something considered racist.

I thought on the whole the aims were fair enough but I do seriously question the methods of this course. It was filmed a year ago apparently, so long before the current problems but things that worried me were interesting. In this programme the children were split into 2 ethnic groups. It was the white kids who each time were removed to another room for discussions and then had to re-enter while the ethnic kids remained on home ground. I felt that that was quite telling for them and difficult. It should have been balanced with the others taking their turn. I can imagine that that act alone would have managed to increase their discomfort.

The woman leading her programme with them was black and American and there seemed to be more black than white teachers at times. Subliminal messages like nodding heads in agreement from teachers was also interesting. I just wonder how orchestrated this really was. I felt sorry for the kids - all of them. They didn't need to have this is the public domain. That in itself is pretty damaging.