of the abuses which black children suffer in the schools and which reinforce white racism in society. It also recognises that black children have special problems requiring additional expenditure over and above that expended on the white child. But the conclusion that the number of black children is higher than previously believed, and the recognition of the need to spend more on black pupils, will also be used by the extreme right to heighten their present racist campuign. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY?
In recent issues of Red Weekly we have looked at the plight of black workers in this countrythe legislation designed to stop them from settling with their families, deprivation of political rights, and the means whereby blacks are intimidated into not fighting the employer or the state. For twenty years, the capitalists have sought to maintain a black migrant work force which is super-exploited and which can be placed in those jobs deserted by white workers. But what about the future for the children of those black workers who have settled in Britain?
The ruling class would prefer black children in Britain to take up the same types of jobs as their parents once they leave school. If Large numbers of black youth were to enter skilled occupations. this would encourage other black workers fighting for the elimination of colour hars on skilled jobs and for equality in pay and conditions with white workers. Tet the educaESN SCHOOLS as 'immigrant" by the DES. astociations of their own to do the work which the schools won't do. Teacher training colleges do little to combat the racial prejudice which is likely to be shown by white teachers in the school classroom. (Only one teucher in six teaching in multi-racial schools was given any formal training at college about black children or tbeir backgrounds.) The education authorities therefore reinforce the employers' policy of keeping blacks out of certain types of occupations and often out of jobs altogether-by doing as litrie as possible to heip birck pupil overcome the special eductionai problems.
One of the worst symptoms of the plight of black children in the schools is the large number of black children to be found in ESN ('Educationally Sub-Normal") schools. Twice as many immigrant children as their ment. proportion in ordinary schools would suggest find their way into ESN schools. Furthermore, in one East London ESN school, 65% of the children are black, yet only seven are classed Children Shelled ESN' are those whose fallure to keep up with their classmates at school is alleged to stem from mental or psychological deficiencies. They are placed in a special school which doesn't try to equip children with academic skills, but simply aims to enable them to survive without becoming a burden' on the singled out for the ESN school because of their behaviour rather than anything else, indicates that the child who expresses social grievances in the school (through 'unruly behaviour", etc) is among the most likely candidates for the ESN school. The transfer of the black child to ESN by means of an 'intelligence" test serves to hide this fact. It is the institutionalised racism practised against blacks which produces resentment and anger (behaviow differences' as the authorities put it) in the black pupil, and leads to conflict with the school authoritice.
To ensure equality of opportunity between black and white in education requires addition expenditure, which British capitalism will be reluctant to provide. But the problem goes much deeper. The black workers must be assured of equality of opportunity in employ.
The British ruling class, because it needs to maintain the racial distribution of jobs, will resist this. The fight on the employment front must be taken up by the working class. The struggle in education (for example, to abolish the ESN school must go hand in hand with a struggle against colour bars on promotion, blacks-out-first redundancy clauses, low pay etc., if racial equality is to be achieved.
John Kilbane Red Weekly 5 October 1973 Page 5