A fortnight ago we began a hugely insightful feature with Brother Louis March, one of the unsung heroes behind Canada's first Afrocentric school. The response to the first part (scroll down if you missed out) has been highly positive and I'm pleased to now present the second half of our exclusive feature with Louis.
What are the main curriculum focuses of an Afro Centric school?
The curriculum must be robust and rigorous, in the pursuit of excellence in all subject material. The curriculum must also be assessed on a regular basis, to ensure that it meets the Toronto District School Board’s standards for success. A comprehensive learning of history that puts equal and unbiased attention on the historical record. Why do schools proclaim Christopher Columbus as a great explorer and then present Timbuktu as an uncivilized village? The curriculum must commit to the empowerment of our children, so that they can learn and action the necessary strategies to succeed in their life pursuits
How relevant do you feel focuses like Nguza Saba etc are in the modern age?
The Nguza Saba awakens the African life principles that focus on healthy family and community values. It provides an African centred foundation necessary to re-build our community and utilizes the same family and community principles that have been the backbone of African people throughout history. We struggle as a people, when we try to adopt or fit into the European or Western value systems…this was never a part of our history and the Nguza Saba brings us back to our African roots.
What are the environmental focuses and benefits of a black focused school?
Africentric schooling will teach our children about respect and appreciation for the environment
The environment and nature have always been our partners in life, this has been central to our history and our DNA, as a people. The village Chief ensured that everyone ate and that nobody was hungry. Greed and profit was never a part of the equation….we need to get back to this space again.
How does an afro-centric environment cater for the varying ethnicities of black children?
The African diaspora has spread throughout the world….people from East and West Africa….North and South Africa, along with Central Africa…have been travelling for years. As Africans, we have seen and experienced life in every shape or for, and this is our strength and should never be used as a vehicle to divide and conquer, as has been used by others. A true Africentric environment will recognize this fact and will not try to fit everyone into the same picture. We are different in so many ways, shades and sizes, our languages, cultures and traditions, can be so different but we must learn to use this as a strength instead of a weakness. An Africentric environment, where we recognize and respect these differences provides us with this opportunity.
How do you respond to claims that these children will be unable to integrate into the wider community?
I have worked with the African Canadian Heritage Association for 15 years. We have been teaching our children African and Caribbean history for 40 years on a volunteer basis and without government funding. The children that come through the program do not have any difficulty integrating into the wider community….this is a fact. I see the students now holding senior and executive positions in major corporations, I see them running for political office, I see them in the media, in the education system as Principals and teachers, I see them in all areas of the wider community and being successful. The ACHA program is successful because the parents and community are involved in the development of the curriculum. They will not participate in any program that puts their children at risk in the wider community To suggest that the children will not be able to integrate into the wider community after participating in an Africentric school, would mean that the program was set up to fail the students….that has never been the intention of the Africentric schooling initiative. That is why every effort must be made to ensure that the right people, right curriculum and sufficient funding is part of the working equation for success.
What is your long-term vision for the school?
It is all about giving our children, who are failing at an alarming rate in the current school system, a fighting chance to succeed in life. This does have to be in competition with the regular school system and it can complement what systems are currently in place. This alternative schooling, should be made available to all students who are being marginalized in the current schooling system, which means that we need more than one Africentric School in Toronto. Engaging parents and community in the education of our children must not become a novel concept, it should become the norm, especially for students from our community. Every student deserves an honest opportunity to maximize their potential. It means that we might have to develop new educational systems, that recognize that some students require a different learning environment in order to maximize their potential. The current education system benefits some students but many are falling between the cracks and they happen to be in our community. We cannot stand by anymore and hope for the best. Africentric schooling, if set up properly, can be a viable option for our children and as parents and a concerned community, we must ensure its success.
The African Academy would like to thank Louis March for his solidarity, spirit and insight. We would also like to pay tribute to his invaluable comrades at Acha, the wider community, and the children for providing us optimism and vision. We are inspired. And we wish you continued success.
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