Culturally-Centric Schools- do they work?

I read an article in the National Post recently that I thought I would share with the rest of you regarding Africentric Schools in Toronto. They make reference to Toronto’s First Nations School, and it resonated with me as we have a First Nations School initiative here in Yukon as well. I too wonder about the longevity of such culturally specific schools.

What I found most interesting was the comments by one of the city councillors:

City councillor Josh Matlow, a former school trustee, wishes the program had never been established.

“I believe the school board, rather than putting resources into schools that separate students based on ethnicity or culture, should invest in reforming the curriculum so that it reflects the diversity of our city and our society,” he said.

Here is the link to the article:

http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/09/20/torontos-controversial-africentric-high-school-program-suffering-from-poor-enrolment/

David McInnes