Approaches to Education Reform: Privatizing Poverty
Part of the sordid side of our American history includes Native American boarding schools. In the 18th and 19th century, these schools were established as a means of assimilating Native Americans into white culture. As Wikipedia tells it, “Children were usually immersed in European-American culture through appearance changes with haircuts, were forbidden to speak their Native languages, and traditional names were replaced by new European-American names (in order to both ‘civilize’ and ‘Christianize’). The experience of the schools was often harsh, especially for the younger children who were separated from their families. In numerous ways, they were encouraged or forced to abandon their Native American identities and cultures.” (Emphasis added)
The assumption was that these children had to be separated from their parents, from their history, from the context of their support system of religion and culture in order to properly assimilate to white standards of “success.” And this needed to happen because all of the Native American cultural characteristics were of a lower standard than the dominant white culture. in 1892, Army officer Richard Pratt said, “A great general has said that the only good Indian is a dead one…In a sense, I agree with the sentiment, but only in this: that all the Indian there is in the race should be dead. Kill the Indian in him, and save the man.”
With the passage of time, it’s a little easier to see the racism, arrogance and violence inherent in this idea. And I know it seems like ancient history, but it isn’t. The numbers of native Americans in boarding schools peaked in the 1970’s. Not really that long ago.
The framing assumptions underlying this movement were that of the deficit model. That is, by standards of the dominant white culture, these Native Americans just weren’t “measuring up.”
Is this beginning to sound familiar?
The problem with history is that it always replicates itself now, albeit in somewhat differently nuanced and forms.
And that bring us to a brand new, shockingly contemporary version of the above in Phil Powers’ recent editorial in The Bridge, “Could A Boarding School Model Work in Detroit?”
Powers gives an overview:
“I had thought boarding schools for poor and vulnerable children did not exist until I learned of something called the SEED Foundation in Washington, D.C., which does just that. …
Children are chosen for admission by lottery, which means their participation is Approaches to Education Reform: Privatizing Poverty | educarenow:
