Afro-centric Curriculum

A hot topic issue which we discussed in our class, but which also extends beyond the boundaries of our classroom, is an Afro-centric schooling system.  This educational endeavor can be looked at from a number of different angles, however my reflection will look to critically analyze this system from my own point of view.  Initially I found myself approaching this topic from a “in the middle”, or “on the fence” perspective, but the more and more I delve into the topic, the more I find myself supporting alternative means of education, but opposing certain aspects of Afro-centric curriculum. 

            Toronto boasts two Afro-centric schools geared towards offering an alternative means of education, with a strong focus on celebrating Afro-centric history and culture.  The intention of the alternative schooling system is to help with underachievement amongst the Black community in Toronto, in addition to minimizing the dropout rate amongst this demographic.  The Afro-centric schools are inclusive, in that anyone regardless of their race or the colour of their skin can attend.  The curriculum in these institutions however, has a strong focus on African history and celebrates the culture. 

            We watched a animated video in class which talked about the education system and the need for there to be a paradigm shift (Robinson, 2010).  The video explained that the educational institutions of today are still modeled after the factory era (i.e., bells ringing, separate facilities, etc.).  As we know the factory era was not yesterday and will likely not return tomorrow, as it was s significant part of the social and economic society many decades ago.  Most factories have become automated and simplified, but education is not something that can easily be put on an assembly line and forgotten about.  The RSA video was illustrating that as our society evolves, we need to ensure we are doing the same with education, to keep children involved, engaged, and most importantly, learning (Robinson, 2010).

            Afro-centric schools are a step in the right direction for modernizing the education system, but I don’t think they are the solution.  The curriculum which most institutions offer is based on or heavily influenced by Euro-centric history.  The Afro-centric curriculum will not aim to completely eliminate European history from its syllabus, but will allow students of African descent to understand and embrace their cultural identity and provide them with a strong sense of self; by means of education.  But I find myself asking, why must we limit this model to one specific group – how can we do this for everyone?

Another concept that was discussed in the video, was that great learning happens in groups (Robinson, 2010).  Relating this back to Afro-centric schooling, one might argue that by having a group of African-Canadian students together and immersing them in a common and familiar learning endeavor, this concept will prove to be true.  But the secondary notion that the video discussed was that growth is fueled by collaboration (Robinson, 2010).

Instead of creating institutions which offer curriculum which is exclusive to one specific race or ethnicity, there needs to be more focus on creating curriculum which is inclusive and celebratory of all races and ethnicities.  Canada’s population is diverse in its’ ethnic background and heritage and our student population is no different.  The focus should not be separating students or dividing curriculum in anyway, but implementing a more collaborative approach to learning in school.  A white student should learn about a black student’s heritage; a Muslim student should learn about the LGBT movement in celebration of a student who has two fathers; Asian history should be shared with a Hispanic student, and so on. 

Schools are the main artery for socialization and are what expose us to different ideas, concepts and people.  I think it is important to keep students together for this reason, but critical to create a more divergent learning curriculum.  Whether you find yourself in the confines of a boardroom working for an organization, or at a desk in a class room, a unified ethnic, social, experience and cultural approach to learning, will prove to be the most successful. 

References

Robinson, K.  (2010, October 14).  RSA Animate – Changing Education Paradigms [video].  Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U.