Black Pupils Matter: Our Experience of the English Education System 1950-2000
Chapter Breakdown
Black Pupils Matter: Our Experiences of the English Education System comprises four Sections. I raise the question, what is education right at the start of Chapter One with the hope that history can help us understand the present. We go back to 15th-century Europe, where children were taught by their parents or neighbors to recite bible verses or psalms. Then, in the 16th century, we saw Protestant reformers opening schools to teach children vernacular and proper religious values. The 17th and 18th century Methodist, Utilitarianism and the Evangelical movement promoted Sunday schools to instill into the children Christian values and teach them how to read the bible. I then go on to define the national curriculum in England and pedagogy.
Chapter two, details the research methodology. Applying a social constructivism paradigm, I collected and analysed stories from a narrative perspective. The participants shared their lived experiences which I used to formulate an understanding surrounding the participant’s lives. For eligibility, the participants self-identified as Black and a pupil in England between the years 1950 and 2000. All participants were over 18 years of age. Data was collected via semi-structured interviews an analysed using narrative thematic analysis. I recruited the participants primarily from the Black community and colleges in London and this snowballed into recruiting from other towns including East, North and South East London. Participants were recruited through word of mouth, email, flyers, short message service and WhatsApp. Twelve of the participants were women and ten men. Ten, identified as African: seven, as West Indian: four, as mixed Black and White and one as White. Twenty-one of the participants were former pupils of whom six were at the time of interviewing parents and/or teachers of Black pupils. One was a White teacher.
In chapter three, I layout the stories as they were narrated by the participants. Finally in chapter four, I state the key findings which were:
- The curriculum was Eurocentric in nature promoting British values, successes and history with no space for African or Afro-Caribbean faces, voices or being.
- There was a lack of representation of Black people in English, history and geography lessons.
- The majority of participants were placed in lower sets and were set low expectations by their teachers.
- The majority of participants experienced a teacher-led style of teaching in a classroom of approximately thirty pupils.
- The majority of participants chose to sit at the back of the classroom. The seating arrangement was at tables that were arranged in rows and columns.
- The majority of participants had a non-existing teacher-pupil relationship which negatively impacted their academic performance and overall school experience.
I conclude the book with a new framework that would promote success for Black pupils in education. I recommend a global curriculum. Pupils to be taught in mixed ability groups. Teachers setting high expectations for all with support where needed. The adoption of an urban pedagogical approach. Teachers delivering lessons that are both teacher and pupil-led. Pupils in medium sized classes of between 15-20. Pupils sitting at round tables or hot-desking with a regular rotation plan arranged by the pupils.