School 'apologises after asking pupils whether they'd like to live beside a black person'
'Why is there a black person on the list? There are three African-Caribbean children in her class of 30,' asks mum
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Your support makes all the difference.A school that came under fire for asking children how they would feel about living next to a black person has promised to tackle discrimination differently, a parent has claimed.
Naomi Davis said her daughter Chayse was asked to rank who she “would not” want to live next door to, out of a list including a vegetarian, a “black man,” a hoody wearer and someone with a learning disability.
Chayse, 11, attends Bristol Free School.
Posting on Facebook, Ms Davis said: “My daughter took a picture of her school work to show me. She is 11 and had to rate who you “WOULD NOT” want to live next door to, one being the best and 14 being the worst.
“Why is there ‘a black person’ on the list ? There are three African-Caribbean children in her class of 30.”
Ms Davis, who works as a presenter at BBC Radio Bristol, continued: “I’m about to start a revolution at that school tomorrow. Just know the vampires come for our youths through all channels. Never fall back and let these things pass.”
Later, Ms Davis updated the post to say she had just come from a meeting with the head of the school who had apologised to her and her daughter.
“[They] acknowledge it’s completely unacceptable racial profiling and the wording needs to be changed immediately.”
She said a new booklet would provide “empowering solutions to tackle discrimination”.
The school also intends to start a diversity group so black and ethnic minority (Bame) parents can have input on diversity issues, and to create a Bame youth steering group so children could raise concerns in confidence, Ms Davis said.
“This is a perfect example of ‘be the change you want to see’,” she said. “Never sit back and be the quiet one.”
Neither Ms Davis or Bristol Free School responded to requests for comment.
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